Perfect Notes
by xMorbidxAngelx
Summary: - "Without music, life would be a mistake." - Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
1. Chapter 1

**AN**: I didn't like the way the story was going so I rewrote it. Hopefully this one will be better :)

**Perfect Notes: Chapter 1**

Elegant fingers danced across the keyboard producing a beautiful melody with haunting notes. The musician's head was titled downwards in concentration and dark hair obscured the view of a beautiful face. Several moments passed with no interruptions before the door slammed open and loud voices broke through the melody. With a sigh, Rin looked up to see her friends, Kagome, Sango and Ayame, sitting in the front of the room chatting animatedly. Sensing her gaze, the girls looked at her with wide smiles and beckoned her over. Standing up, Rin stepped down from the platform where the piano stood and walked towards her friends as the room began to fill up with more students. Sighing, she pulled out a notebook and a pen as she sat down heavily, waiting for the teacher to start the lesson.

It was just another ordinary day for Rin Oshiro. She was 20 and had enrolled at this university specifically to study music. Here she sat in a classroom full of people all here wanting to improve their existing skills and eager to learn. In her own mind, she doubted whether some of the students in the room had any existing musical skills. She knew that Kagome and Ayame had none but Sango and she did. Rin looked around the room with vague curiosity and recognised some faces from high school and people she had met through her friends.

Her attention was brought to the front of the room as the teacher stood up, ready to begin the lesson, but like the rest of the class, she was soon turning her gaze to the doorway as four figures walked casually into the room and towards the empty seats beside her. The late comers were four of the most popular men in the music department, although they were probably well known throughout the other departments as well.

"Today we are going to find out the kinds of music that appeal to you. From that we can determine how to proceed with the lessons this year," the teacher announced and handed out questionnaires to the class. "We also need to know how much experience you each have so we can work on your strengths and weaknesses. That will start next lesson and you will be assessed in pairs. I'll pass around the list so you can see who you'll be assessed with and when. Please make note of the date and time."

With a sigh, Rin accepted the paper the teacher handed her and sank down into her seat, preparing for another dull lesson. This course wasn't nearly as much fun as she thought it would be.

Hours later, Rin walked towards the practice rooms where should could play her music in peace. Finding an empty room she set her books down on the table and moved to close the door. As she did so, loud music came from the room directly across the corridor from her. Curiously, she looked through the door and saw the same four males she had seen earlier. Kouga Hanamoto sat behind a drum kit at the back of the room, Miroku Ashida stood near Kouga holding a guitar. Inuyasha Taisho stood at the front of the room clutching the microphone stand as he screamed the lyrics to the song. However, it was Sesshoumaru Taisho, Inuyasha's half brother, who caught her attention as he sat off to one side playing his guitar.

Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him. His long silver hair hung loose over his shoulders and his long slim fingers moved surely on the neck of the guitar as he played. She shook her head and stepped back. They could have had the decency to close the door. She fumed at the lack of respect for other students. She had only intended to look in to see who was in there, but she found herself wanting to berate them for their lack of consideration. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped inside. The music came to a stop as all four men stared at her.

"Was there something you wanted?" Inuyasha asked, confusion written across his face at her sudden entrance.

"You could have been considerate enough to close the door," she said in a quiet voice and took a step back into the hall way. "You're lucky I like the music you play." She gave them a hard look and turned away, slamming the door behind her.

The four men stared incredulously at the door for a moment before Miroku finally spoke.

"Isn't she in our music class?"

"Yeah, she's friends with those popular girls, Kagome and Sango I think," Inuyasha said.

"And Ayame," Kouga added.

"You wouldn't think someone like her would be in with the popular crowd, would you?" Miroku asked with a crooked smile.

After a moment, they shrugged off the incident and continued their practice. Their band had been formed over a year ago and they played in local bars. They needed to practice for the performance they had in a week's time.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rin sighed as she stood in the middle of the room looking the microphone stand that stood in front of her. Behind her, her band mates prepared for their practice. Sometimes she wondered how she had gotten into all of this. She would never have dreamed that she would be the lead singer of a band. In fact, she would never have dream she would be a singer. Suikotsu, the drummer, walked up to her and smiled.

"We're all ready, are you?"

"As ready as I'll ever be I guess," Rin said with a slight smile. "I'm still not used to this."

Suikotsu nodded and patted her shoulder as he turned to go back to his drums. "Don't worry. It takes time."

Nodding, Rin took a deep breath and looked at the band mates that had become her close friends over the past few months. The pair smiled back at her encouragingly and played the opening of the first song.

Hours later, the trio sat on the chairs in the practice room. Suikotsu was on the phone to his girlfriend and the guitarist, Bankotsu, was engrossed in a puzzle he had found in the newspaper. Rin smiled to herself - she enjoyed the hours spent with the two men. Despite their similar names, they weren't related, something she always found strange. The pair were like brothers to her and were always protective of her. In a way, she was closer to them than she was to Kagome, Sango and Ayame. Looking down she looked over the programme for the evening ahead. It was their first live performance. They would be performing at a local bar to their first audience. Rin knew she would enjoy herself, but she couldn't help but feel very nervous.

"We're all set!" Suikotsu said with a grin as he snapped his phone shut.

"We are?" Bankotsu asked, not looking up from his puzzle.

"Yeah. Natsuki's going to be at the bar waiting for us," Suikotsu said with the usual grin that came to his face when he spoke of his girlfriend.

"How does that make us 'all set' then?" Bankotsu asked with mild curiosity.

"She's got some clothes for Rin and she's packed a meal for us to have after the performance."

Rin looked up at the mention of her name. "Clothes for me?"

He nodded. "She said she found some clothes that you might like to wear tonight."

"Oh. I'll have a look when we get there tonight."

"Speaking of getting there," Bankotsu said as he looked at his watch. "We should be packing our equipment up and heading over to the bar to make ready."

"We're only fourth on the list though!" Suikotsu protested. "It'll be going on 10pm by the time we get to perform. What's the hurry?"

"He's right. It'd be better to get there and have to wait around than be late," Rin said quietly. "Besides, we can watch the other acts and see what we're up against."

Suikotsu's eyes widened. "I didn't think of that."

He grinned and ran towards his drums and began going through his collection of drum sticks trying to decide which to use. Rin watched him with a smile while Bankotsu shook his head before heading towards his large guitar case.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Sesshoumaru sat in the back of Inuyasha's car as they sped towards the bar where they were performing that evening. Kouga sat beside him and was babbling about the girl he currently had his eye on. Ayame. The girl who was friends with that strange girl who came into their practice session a week previously. His mind wandered back to that day as he watched cars speeding past in the opposite direction, their lights a blur as they went. He found out that her name was Rin. Rin Oshiro. She was in his music class at the university and always seemed to be the first person to arrive and to leave. She never waited for the other three girls and seemed to disappear when she left the class. He had only ever seen her once outside class. The day she had reprimanded them for leaving their door open during a practice session.

He watched her occasionally during lessons and found her to be a very strange individual. She had dark brown, almost black, hair that was always tied up in a bun and her face rarely showed any expression. He had never seen her smile, although he was willing to bet that she would look beautiful if she did. Her pale face was accentuated by thick, long eyelashes that framed a pair of the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. At first glance they seemed to be brown, but after scrutinising her closely, he found that they had flecks of gold in them as well which gave them a surreal quality. Her lips were full and he had lost count of the number of times he'd wished he could find out if they were as soft as they looked.

As he realised the implications of that thought, Sesshoumaru jerked himself back to reality. He was not the type of person that would entertain thoughts of that nature. That job was left to his brother and fellow band members. Still, he couldn't help wishing she would show him her smile any more than he couldn't help wishing she would look his way even if it was only once. Shaking his head, he tuned into his brother's conversation as he tried to rid himself of the thoughts that had plagued his mind for the past week.

"We're the second band on the list so we should be able to watch the fourth act. We'll need to pack our equipment up and by the time we finish, the third act will probably have finished as well," Miroku said as he examined the programme for the evening.

Inuyasha nodded his agreement. "We'll watch the fourth act. It's some new band isn't it?"

"Yeah. It's their first live performance tonight."

"They'll probably get nervous and mess it up," Kouga said thoughtfully. "It could turn into something quite funny."

"It could," Miroku admitted. "We'll have to save our laughter for when we leave the place though. We may never be invited back if we're too harsh on the newcomers."

"We'll deal with that later," Inuyasha said shortly as he pulled into a parking space behind the bar. "Let's unpack and go get ourselves ready."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rin sat in the dressing room she shared with Suikotsu and Bankotsu staring at the girl in front of her in absolute amazement. Natsuki held an outfit on a clothes hanger and was trying her hardest to convince Rin to wear it on stage. She had to admit, the outfit was incredible. It consisted of a tight black bodice with red ribbon lacing up the back and a black skirt that reached mid thigh. She couldn't deny that she liked it, but she wondered how appropriate it would be to wear such an outfit on their debut.

"Natsuki… isn't that a bit too revealing for a first performance?" she asked dubiously.

"That's the whole point!" said girl exclaimed with a grin. "Have you seen what the other acts are wearing?"

Rin shook her head. "No."

"They're boring. They're all wearing everyday stuff. This is your debut Rin. Make it memorable!"

"I suppose it makes sense, but I still think it's a bit too revealing."

"Can we compromise then?" Natsuki pleaded.

"How?"

"Wear the bodice with your jeans. It'll look fine, I promise."

"Alright," Rin conceded eventually and disappeared to try on the outfit.

When she returned, she felt somewhat uncomfortable at the looks her band mates were giving her. The black was stark against her pale skin and gave her an almost delicate look. Natsuki grinned and undid the bun Rin's hair was in, letting the thick, dark tresses fall over her back and down her back.

While Rin and her band mates were still preparing for their performance, Inuyasha and his band were packing away their equipment. Sesshoumaru led the way back into the small building and found seats for them at the front, right in front of the stage. On the whole he thought their performance had been very successful. The crowd welcomed them and enjoyed the music they played and cheered for them at the end. He smiled inwardly as he put his drink down on the table and waited for the next act. Looking down at the programme, he smirked when he saw it was the new band.

"Get ready to laugh, Sesh," Kouga said as he nudged him in the ribs from his seat beside him. "This is bound to be funny."

Before Sesshoumaru could respond, the lights in the room dimmed and there was the faint sound of movement on the stage in front of them. Suddenly, the room was lit up again, this time by a spotlight that showed a drummer wearing a black tank top seated at the back of the stage. The next light revealed a guitarist, again clad in black, standing to the right of the stage holding a black and red guitar. Without revealing the vocalist, the guitarist began to play and was soon joined by the drummer. The words seemed to come from nowhere, but gradually, the vocalist was revealed. Sesshoumaru felt his breath catch in his throat as he recognised the girl. Rin Oshiro stood on the stage in front of him.

Sesshoumaru listened carefully to her voice and had to admit it was beautiful. It echoed hauntingly in the room and he felt like he would be quite content to sit and listen to it all night. He was almost disappointed when she finished the song, but applauded nonetheless.

With a vague smile, Rin turned to look at her band members. It had gone well. Their first song seemed to be a success. She could have jumped for joy. Looking out into the audience she saw Kagome, Sango and Ayame waving at her with huge grins of approval. Then her eyes settled on the table at the front and she recognised Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Miroku and Kouga. She smirked inwardly as she saw the look of shock on Inuyasha's face. Sesshoumaru's face, however, held an expression she couldn't recognise. He looked her directly in the eye and nodded slightly. The motion was so slight, she could have missed it. She blushed and broke the eye contact as the band began to play again. She dearly wished she could have known what he was thinking just then.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Several days later, Rin walked out of the room where she had been practicing with Suikotsu and Bankotsu and headed down the road to her own home. As she reached the corner of the street, she collided with something warm, yet solid. Looking up in confusion, she blinked in surprise as she saw Sesshoumaru standing in front of her, looking equally confused.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed as soon as she recovered the power of speech.

He put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

She looked up at him and took a step back. "Neither was I."

He shook his head slightly and looked at her closely. "You've been at band practice?"

"Yeah. We've just finished for the day."

"I see. So you were in that new band then?"

"Evidently."

Sesshoumaru smirked. "I was impressed. I didn't think you had it in you."

"Had what in me?" she asked, looking at him suspiciously.

"The guts to get up and sing on stage with a shirt that left little to the imagination."

Rin frowned. "That's an exaggeration. That outfit was at least better than a pair of jeans and an ordinary shirt."

"Fine. I get the picture," Sesshoumaru said and put his hands up in defeat. "So is your band going to be a one hit wonder then?"

"It will not!" Rin exclaimed, beginning to get irritated.

"I think it will."

"It won't," she insisted, knowing that she sounded childish.

"Prove me wrong," Sesshoumaru said with a smirk.

She paused and looked at him, carefully thinking over her situation. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"There's an opportunity for another performance in two weeks time at the same venue. I'm going to enter your band and if you can come up with something better than the other night, I'll admit that I was wrong about your band."

"Fine. We'll do it and I'll prove you wrong."

Sesshoumaru smirked again. "Let's up the stakes this time." Rin blinked in confusion. "Two songs this time. Not just one."

"Two songs. I'll make you eat your words, Sesshoumaru Taisho," she said confidently.

Having said that, Rin turned on her heel and walked straight back down the corridor to the practice room she had left Suikotsu and Bankotsu in. Sesshoumaru smirked at her retreating figure and went to inform his brother of the incident.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Several days later, Rin paced the practice room while Suikotsu sat at a table with his head in his hands and Bankotsu chewed his pencil thoughtfully.

"This is hopeless!" Suikotsu said mournfully. Rin glared at him but didn't stop her pacing. Suikotsu shook his head in despair. "We're going to have to forfeit, Rin."

"No we won't," Bankotsu interrupted.

Rin stopped her pacing and looked at him. "We've got nothing so far and there's only just over a week left. I shouldn't have made that stupid bet with Sesshoumaru."

"You were just trying to defend the band. There's nothing wrong with that," Bankotsu said as he walked over to her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We will show them that we aren't going to be just a one hit wonder."

Rin nodded before turning to Suikotsu. "Natsumi's creative, do you think she can help?"

"I didn't think of that," he admitted. "I'll give her a call and see if she can come over."

With that said, they decided to take a break while Suikotsu phoned Natsumi. Rin sank down into a nearby chair with a sigh and covered her face with her hands in a gesture that showed her weariness.

"You've not been sleeping properly have you?" Bankotsu asked.

Rin looked up at him with a rueful smile. "Is it that obvious?"

He nodded. "Let's go and get some coffee while Suikotsu waits for Natsumi."

"Okay."

Rin left with Bankotsu after a brief conversation with Suikotsu. They walked down to the corridor to the cafe area and Rin sat down in a seat by the window and waited while Bankotsu got them both some coffee. She smiled gratefully at him as he returned and they began to discuss what they would do about their next song.

Unbeknownst to them both, Sesshoumaru Taisho walked past the cafe with Miroku and sat down at a table outside as they took a break from their practice. As he sat down, Sesshoumaru caught a glimpse of Rin seated in the cafe. He watched her for a moment, curious as to what she was doing. After a while, his curiosity was satisfied when a man walked towards her and handed her a cup of steaming coffee. Sesshoumaru hoped that he was merely a waiter who worked there when Rin gave him a smile that was reserved for very few people. His hopes were crushed, however, when the man sat down opposite her and began a conversation.

"Do you like her, Sesh?" Miroku's voice held a trace of amusement.

He tore his eyes away from Rin to stare at the dark haired man sitting opposite him. "Me? Like her? Don't be a fool, Miroku. No man such as me could like a woman like her."

Miroku shrugged and smiled slightly. "No need to get edgy. It was just an observation."

Sesshoumaru glared at him for a while before shaking his head. It was hopeless trying to reason with Miroku. Although he was by far the most intelligent of Sesshoumaru's band members, he was very stubborn and very devious when he wanted to be. Despite his seemingly harmless appearance, Sesshoumaru had the suspicion that Miroku was not a man to mess with.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

When Rin and Bankotsu returned to the practice room, they found Natsumi and Suikotsu hard at work on a song. Rin smiled at the pair and sat down on the sofa nearby while Bankotsu went to inspect their work. Minutes turned into hours and Rin eventually found herself unable to keep her eyes open, her lack of sleep had finally caught up with her. With a sigh, she curled up on the sofa and let her eyes drift shut with thoughts of how she would prove Sesshoumaru Taisho wrong. Soon afterwards, Suikotsu looked at her, seeking her opinion on what they had written, but found her asleep. Grinning, he nudged his friends and nodded in her direction. Natsumi smiled gently at her sleeping friend briefly before turning back to the work while Bankotsu moved toward her to cover her with a jacket that lay nearby.

The sound of a guitar woke Rin several hours later. She looked around sleepily and saw Bankotsu sitting at the table nearby examining several sheets of paper and scribbling notes down every so often.

"How long have I been sleeping?" she asked as she stood up.

"About two and a half hours," Natsumi said cheerfully from the back of the room where she sat with Suikotsu.

Rin gaped at her, horrified. "Why didn't you wake me up?!"

Bankotsu snorted slightly. "You needed sleep. How are you supposed to help us if you can't focus?"

"Rude as always, Bankotsu," Suikotsu teased. "Couldn't you at least be a little nicer to her? She's been trying harder than the rest of us put together."

"Heh."

With a sigh, Rin interrupted before an argument broke out. "What have you done so far?"

"We've basically done one song. We're trying it out with the music at the moment. If it works, then we'll have a proper practice and you can see how you like it," Natsumi said with a smile.

"Let's have a proper practice. I want to know what it sounds like when we put it together," Suikotsu said excitedly.

Rin and Bankotsu nodded as they headed towards the stage area of the room.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Inuyasha sat at the back of the room watching as two girls walked past. He sighed as he watched them go past. The dark haired girl was a beauty, there was no denying it. Tilting his head, he scrutinised her. Her dark hair was smooth and long. Her body was slim and her face was angelic. Shaking his head to clear it, he glanced at her retreating back once again before his view was blocked by yet another dark haired girl. This one was taller and seemed to be very fit as she raced past him and after her friends. Inuyasha smirked as he thought of the first girl and compared the two. However, his comparison was interrupted by a masculine form rushing past him and after the two girls. His eyes widened considerably when he realised that the man was none other than Miroku. He closed his gaping mouth and stood up to follow his friend.

"Miroku! What are you doing?!" Inuyasha demanded when he caught up with the trio.

Said man blushed and turned to face his band mate. "I can't help it. Sango ran away from me."

The girl named Sango stepped forward and left a bright red hand print on Miroku's face. "You pervert!" she exclaimed loudly.

Inuyasha groaned as he realised what had happened. Although Miroku seemed dignified and polite, this was merely a facade to cover his perverted nature that lay beneath the surface. He stepped forward and pulled Miroku away from the girls roughly.

"I apologise for his behaviour, ladies. I hope he didn't cause you too much trouble," he said politely.

Sango opened her mouth to deliver a scathing remark, but was cut off by her friend. "It's alright. I'm afraid I don't know you though," she said with a perplexed expression.

"I'm Inuyasha. Inuyasha Taisho. This is Miroku Ashida."

The girl inclined her head politely. "I'm Kagome Higurashi and this is my friend Sango Yamaguchi."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Inuyasha said with a smile.

"At least you have more manners than your friend," Sango said in disgust.

"It's one of his many flaws; you'll have to excuse him. I'm under the impression that he can't control himself around attractive women."

Kagome blushed and tugged at Sango's arm. "We have to go to a lesson now. Please excuse us."

Inuyasha watched as the two girls walked away before looking at his friend. "Normally I'd hit you for what you just did..." he started.

"But this time you'll let me off because you got to talk to the girl you like," Miroku said with a wink.

"I do not like her!"

Miroku shrugged and picked up his bag which he had dropped. "You sound just like your brother," was all he said before he left Inuyasha alone in the corridor to ponder the meaning of his statement.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Sesshoumaru smirked at his reflection as he dressed for the performance. The two weeks had gone quickly. Tonight was the night that Rin Oshiro's band failed. He was confident. Sesshoumaru Taisho never lost any bets and tonight would be no exception. The girl was interesting enough, but that didn't exempt her from being a failure along with her band. One song was not good enough and tonight, he was going to show her how a real band performed.

Following her open disapproval of their previous outfits, Sesshoumaru took time to dress for this night. His white shirt was unbuttoned and revealed a black tank top beneath; the sleeves were rolled up to the elbow to give him a careless, almost dishevelled look. Normally, he would tie his hair back, but today he left it down and took the time to stand outside for while ensuring it got as windblown as possible. Not only would he prove that Rin Oshiro's band was a failure, he would also prove that the outfit worn made no difference. She was so much fun to tease.

He quickly joined his friends as their band was called to the stage to start their performance. Sesshoumaru knew that Rin would be watching. He had made especially sure that she could watch their performance from her very own front row seat. He walked onto the stage with his guitar hanging at his side and took his place on Inuyasha's left while Miroku stood to the right. Quickly, Sesshoumaru scanned the audience to find Rin and he found her sitting where he had planned looking directly at him with the usual expressionless look she seemed to reserve just for him. He chuckled softly to himself as they began to play the introduction to their first song.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rin fumed as she paced back and forth in the band's dressing room after Sesshoumaru's performance. How could they counter what they had just heard? What they had created in the two weeks had been impressive, but it was no match for what she just heard. She turned to face her band mates who looked back at her with grim expressions that seemed to reflect her own unpleasant thoughts. Natsumi came into the room just at that moment.

"You had better get yourselves ready. You're the next act and the last ones have nearly finished," she said in an uncharacteristically subdued voice.

"We've lost this bet already," Suikotsu stated sadly.

"You haven't performed yet," Natsumi said with a small smile as she gave him a hug. He shrugged in response and went to get changed.

Bankotsu stood near the door dressed in a black tank top and black jeans, his long hair in the usual braid that flowed down his back. Rin looked at him thoughtfully. She wondered what he was thinking but she knew that asking would be pointless. Bankotsu was abrupt and to the point, almost rude in some cases. He didn't share his thoughts unless there was some vitally important reason for him to do so. Shaking her head, she moved away to change hoping that they still had a chance to win this bet.

With a sigh, she walked out onto the dimly lit stage and took her place beside Bankotsu in the centre. Suikotsu gave her an encouraging smile as he took his place. Slowly the lights began to brighten and Rin felt a twinge of nervousness as she looked out into the sea of expectant faces. At the very front, she saw the smirking faces of Sesshoumaru Taisho and his band mates.

This song was completely different from the previous one the band had performed and there seemed to be confusion running through the audience at the sudden change in music which caused Rin to cringe inwardly. They didn't like it and they had only just started! Deciding to give it all she had, she sang her heart out, trying desperately to make each note more beautiful than the last until the song came to an end. There was a pause before the next started and once again, Rin gave it her all. Determination flared within her. She would not lose to a cocky man like Sesshoumaru Taisho.

As the second song ended, Rin looked up and was greeted by a wave of applause and cheers. The trio stood there staring stupidly at the cheering crowd before realisation sunk in and grins spread across their faces. With a yell of triumph, Suikotsu threw his drumsticks high into the air while Bankotsu swept Rin off her feet in a hug.

In the audience, Inuyasha handed over some money to Kouga grumbling that he lost the bet. Sesshoumaru glared at the trio on the stage. Now he had to admit to Rin that he was wrong. Sesshoumaru Taisho never admitted when he was wrong. Sesshoumaru Taisho never lost a bet. He sat still as a statue and glared at the woman who stood wrapped in her band mate's embrace, a grin plastered on her face. Above all, Sesshoumaru Taisho never lost a woman to another man.

"Too bad, Sesh," Miroku said in a placating tone. "Looks like the girl's taken."

Just as Sesshoumaru was about to respond, he was interrupted by Sango who sat beside Miroku. "Taken? Who's taken?" She asked curiously.

"Her," Miroku nodded towards Rin.

Sango laughed. "Rin's not taken. She's far too much of an introvert."

Sesshoumaru eyed her curiously. "Then why was she embracing that man?" He jerked his thumb in Bankotsu's direction.

She shrugged. "Spur of the moment maybe. Suikotsu's got a girlfriend anyway. I don't know about Bankotsu." She paused. "Why all the sudden interest in Rin?"

Miroku chuckled as Sesshoumaru looked away, a light blush staining his cheeks. "The Ice Prince, here, seems to be quite taken with her."

"Why don't you just confront her?" Sango suggested, suddenly pitying the elder Taisho. Rin was notoriously picky about men. "At least that way you'd find out where you stand."

"What if she doesn't like me?" Sesshoumaru asked cautiously.

"It will be painful," Sango admitted. "But would you rather sit in the dark not knowing?"

"She has a point, Sesh," Miroku agreed, nodding his head sagely.

He sighed. "Fine I'll confront her," was all he said as he stood up and walked towards the door.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Suikotsu walked out the door with a grin on his face and his arm wrapped around Natsumi. He was talking about celebrating, something about a restaurant he'd heard of. With a wave at Rin and Bankotsu who brought up the rear, they slipped into his car and sped off into the night. Rin smiled as she thought over the night's events before turning her gaze to Bankotsu. He returned her smile, which was very rare.

"I can't believe we won the bet! It feels so surreal!" Rin exclaimed as she turned to her companion and launching herself at him.

Bankotsu laughed softly as he caught her and wrapped an arm around her as they walked towards their cars. The pair didn't notice the dark figure sitting on a low wall nearby, slowly breathing out cigarette smoke.

"You are far too excitable," the figure said quietly.

Rin gasped and Bankotsu pulled her closer protectively. "Who's there?" he demanded.

The figure stood up and walked into the dim light of a nearby streetlight. "Only me."

Rin breathed a sigh of relief as she recognised Sesshoumaru. Breaking away from Bankotsu, she walked towards Sesshoumaru and tapped him lightly across the chest as she gazed up into the tall man's face. "You didn't have to creep up on us like that!"

"I wasn't creeping up on anyone," Sesshoumaru said with a shrug as he put his hands in his pockets. "I was here before you."

Rin glared at him but said nothing.

"Is there something we can help you with?" Bankotsu asked.

Sesshoumaru looked at the man carefully before answering. "Actually..." he paused. "There is."

"What is it?"

"I want to know what your relationship is with her," Sesshoumaru said while nodding at Rin.

Bankotsu stared at him incredulously. "My relationship with Rin?"

"That's what I said."

"What business is it of yours?" Bankotsu growled.

Sesshoumaru said nothing but stared at the man with an infuriating air of patience as he waited for the response to his question. With a sigh, Rin stepped forward.

"It's okay, Bankotsu. Just tell him."

Bankotsu stared at her while Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed slightly at her statement. Exhaling heavily, Bankotsu looked directly at Sesshoumaru. "There is nothing between us. I have a girlfriend and it's not Rin."

"How do I know you're not lying?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Rin shrugged. "You don't. You'll just have to believe him. Unless you want to go and question Tsubaki about it."

Sesshoumaru looked at her curiously. "Who's Tsubaki?"

"My girlfriend!" Bankotsu exploded. "The girlfriend I have to meet now. You two can sort this out yourselves. I'm leaving."

Rin and Sesshoumaru watched Bankotsu leaving in silence. Rin watched him going with a vague smile which Sesshoumaru noticed when he turned to look at her.

"Was there anything else you needed?" Rin asked quietly, lifting her hand to return Bankotsu's wave.

Sesshoumaru paused and looked at her speculatively. "You're not in a relationship?"

Rin frowned. "No..."

With a slight smile, Sesshoumaru stepped forward until he was standing right in front of her. Lifting her face gently with his thumb, his lips descended onto hers and devoured them hungrily. After a moment, he pulled away and stepped back. Rin stared at him in shock, her cheeks stained red from her blush and her lips slightly swollen.

"What was that?" she demanded when she found her voice.

"A kiss."

"I know that!" she declared, anger seeping into her voice. "Why?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "Just because."

"Just because?" Rin echoed incredulously.

Rin glared at him. Reaching forward she grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him down until he was level with her. Her furious gaze didn't dissipate as she stared into his amber eyes. There was silence for a moment as they stared at each other.

"I don't kiss random guys 'just because'," she whispered furiously.

"You just did," Sesshoumaru replied, pulling away to light a cigarette.

"Don't do that again."

She pushed him away from her, determinedly ignoring the smirk he sent her as she did so. Huffing, Rin turned away from him and walked down the street, not once turning to look back. Sesshoumaru watched in amusement as she hopped over the low wall around the car park and stalked away, anger evident in her posture.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** Italics are a memory ^^

**Chapter 4**

Over the next two weeks, Rin came to classes and band practice as normal, but much to her displeasure, she found herself in the company of Sesshoumaru and the rest of the band more often than not. It seemed that while Sesshoumaru found it immensely amusing to tease her, the rest of the men in the band had endeared themselves to her three friends. She had no problems with the other three men, but she wondered why she always had to be with her friends when the men arrived.

Now, nearly three weeks after she had won the bet, she had had enough. She sat in the café area with her three friends when she spotted the group of men making their way across the gardens to the table where they sat. She struggled to hold in the groan of displeasure and to save herself any embarrassment, pushed her chair back and got to her feet, swinging her bag over her shoulder as she did so.

"I'm going to find Bankotsu and Suikotsu," she said shortly, just as the men arrived at the table.

With that, she successfully managed to get away from another excruciating hour or two with that irksome Sesshoumaru. Leaving a table of confused friends in her wake, she stalked across the gardens and into the music department again. Fortunately for her, both her band mates attended the same university as her, although they were a year above her. She supposed they were protective over her because she was two years younger than both of them. They had met purely by accident during her first week at the university but she was eternally grateful that they had met. Sighing, she stopped to lean back against a wall to think back to that day.

_Ever since she had first learned to play as a child, she discovered that all worries and fears could be erased by the beautiful melodies of the instrument. During that first week of university, she had been plagued by worries and fear about what the future held for her and had found solace in the piano once again. She had been in one of the practice rooms, so engrossed in playing a Tchaikovsky piece that she had not noticed the two older students standing by the door watching in awed silence. Eventually, she had pulled the cover down over the keys and sighed, leaning forward and burying her head in her arms, annoyed that she still failed to play that piece perfectly. A cough had brought her head up quickly and turning towards the door. Her eyes widened when she saw the two men standing there._

_  
"That was beautiful," Suikotsu had said with a smile. _

"_Thank you," she said, stunned that such students would talk to her of all people. "It's not right though." _

_Rising to her feet, she picked up her bag and books, preparing to leave. However, the quieter of the two stopped her on her way out by catching her elbow and pulling her back into the room, guiding her back to the piano. _

"_What else can you play?" he asked as he pulled the cover back to reveal the keys. _

"_Mainly classical pieces," she said with a shrug. _

_Without a word, the quiet man sat down beside her and placed long fingers on the keys. After a moment, said fingers moved surely and elegantly across the keys playing the exact same piece she had just attempted. She watched his hands in awe as they moved and savoured the beautiful melody. When the piece came to an end, the unknown man sat back and looked at her. _

"_You were using the wrong keys at the end," he said and pointed to the keys she had used when she played, then moved to point at different ones. "Use those and it will sound better."_

_Rin stared at him and nodded mutely. The other man came to stand behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder, looking down at her with a grin. _

"_I'm Suikotsu," he said, grin still in place. "He's Bankotsu. Classical pieces are his speciality."_

"_I'm Rin," she said in a quiet voice. _

"_Nice to meet you!" Suikotsu said happily. _

"_I assume you're taking music?" the stoic Bankotsu asked. _

"_Yes, I started this week."_

"_What say we take her under our wing?" Suikotsu asked his friend with a grin. _

"_A good idea, I think," was the response. _

"_What are you talking about?" Rin asked, confused and slightly awed by the two males. _

"_We want to form a band, but we can't with just two people," Suikotsu explained, pulling up a chair and sitting beside her._

"_You can," she said, her confusion growing by the minute. _

"_Well yeah, but neither of us are capable vocalists."_

"_And you think I am?" she gaped at them. _

"_You might be," Bankotsu said. "Even if you're not, you are a capable musician; we would like you to join our group."_

"_Or at least consider the offer and come to practices with us," Suikotsu added with a smile. _

_For once, Rin's usually composed and somewhat distant outer shell had been cracked. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. _

"_B-But, I'm too young! S-Surely there must be someone in your year to join," she stammered. _

"_There is no one good enough in our year," Bankotsu said, crossing his arms. _

"_How old are you, Rin?" Suikotsu asked suddenly. _

"_20."_

"_You're only two years younger than us," he grinned again. "Age means nothing anyway."_

"_Will you consider the offer?" Bankotsu asked, looking her in the eyes. _

"_Please?" Suikotsu pleaded, taking her hands in his and flashing her a smile. _

"_Alright," she sighed. "I'll consider it."_

Rin sighed from her place against the university wall and smiled to herself. The memory seemed to be from years ago, but in reality was not so long ago. Now, she found herself seeking out the two men just for company or comfort which they gladly gave her and always welcomed her with open arms. Quite literally in Suikotsu's case sometimes. Smiling again, she pushed herself off the wall and headed into the music department where she knew she would find the.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

As predicted, as soon as Rin stepped into music building, she could hear Suikotsu's infectious laughter echo down the corridor from the usual room they occupied during breaks between lessons. Ironically, it was the same room her next lesson was in. Smiling slightly, she walked down the corridor and stopped in the doorway, peering in. Suikotsu saw her and bounded up to her, enveloping her in a tight hug before pulling her into the room where the other men sat. Bankotsu and Suikotsu's other friends had all accepted her readily and were always pleased to see her, although not many of them showed the same enthusiasm as Suikotsu.

"What brings you here, Rin?" Jakotsu asked, pulling her down into a seat beside him and ruffling her hair affectionately.

"You're normally with those girls aren't you?" Renkotsu said, looking up briefly from the book he was reading.

Rin shrugged. "I don't like the company they keep."

"Those guys sure are determined," Bankotsu noted.

"They hang around like a bad smell," Rin said, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

The men looked at her in amusement while Suikotsu burst into laughter. After a moment, he controlled himself and sat down on her other side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"They're not all that bad are they?" he asked with a grin.

"Well, no," she conceded as she thought it over. "In fact they're alright, except that Sesshoumaru."

Bankotsu nodded. "He did seem different from the others."

"Just thinking about him makes me angry," Rin said with a frown as she leaned her head back against Suikotsu's arm with a sigh.

"What did he do that was so bad anyway?" Jakotsu asked. Rin didn't move but muttered something quietly.

"What was that? We didn't hear that," Renkotsu asked, now taking an interest in the conversation.

Rin glared at him. "I said, he kissed me," she huffed, her expression showing her annoyance.

The statement took the males by surprise and they stared at her, not knowing quite what to say. Suikotsu and Jakotsu just stared at her while Renkotsu closed his book with a snap. Although Jakotsu and Renkotsu were not as close to Rin as the other two were, they were still protective of the younger girl their friends had become so close to.

"I knew I should've come back to get you," Bankotsu said with narrowed eyes as he turned to look out the window.

"What?" Suikotsu asked, confused.

"That night after we won the bet. I should've have left her alone."

Rin sighed and stood up, walking over to him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and smiled to herself. The bell signalling the beginning of lessons rang in the hall, but she ignored it, wanting to make her friend feel better was more important.

"It's not your fault," she said quietly, as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "You couldn't have known what he would do."

The other males nodded and made noises of agreement, eager to soothe their serious friend.

"We'll just make sure he doesn't do it again," Suikotsu said with a grin as he got to his feet. "We're going ahead. See you later, Rin!"

The three men said their goodbyes and left Bankotsu and Rin alone. Sighing suddenly, Bankotsu tightened his grip around her and pulled her closer. Not knowing what to do, Rin leaned into him and just waited until he was ready to let her go.

"I'm sorry I left you alone with him, Rin," he apologised again, burying his face in her shoulder. "He's bothering you because of me."

"No, he's not," Rin tried to soothe him. "It's not your fault."

So caught up in trying to soothe her friend, Rin didn't notice Sesshoumaru standing in the doorway watching the scene. He couldn't hear what was being said, but he did not approve of another man holding her in such a way.

"You still haven't told her, huh?" Miroku asked, appearing beside him suddenly.

Sesshoumaru sighed. "They lied."

"Who did?" Miroku questioned, taking his eyes from the pair in the room to his friend.

"They did. They said they were not a couple."

"Perhaps they're not. It's not uncommon for friends to show such affection."

"It's hopeless, Miroku," Sesshoumaru said softly, knowing that his friend would not judge him for his weakness. "She doesn't like me."

"Not yet maybe," the other man said with a grin. "Go about it in a different way and maybe she will."

"How?"

"We'll come up with something. We should keep this between ourselves though," he said with a thoughtful look. "I doubt the others would be of much use. They'll tease you too much anyway."

Sesshoumaru nodded and was grateful to his friend. He knew from the very beginning that he could be trusted. If Miroku was helping him, Sesshoumaru was sure that he would end up with a good result, even if it took a while to get there.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

True to his word, Miroku helped Sesshoumaru devise a way to make Rin like him. It had taken him a while, but in the end he had come up with what he considered to be a fool-proof plan. He discovered that Rin was a private person, but would open up if there was someone willing to listen. Eventually, Miroku decided that the best way to help Sesshoumaru was if he, Miroku, got to know the girl in question. When he suggested this to Sesshoumaru, he had been met with silence before the man had agreed, knowing his friend was acting in his best interests. Now the hard work of getting to know Rin was about to begin.

Miroku was on his way to the café area wondering how he was going to go about getting to know Rin, when he saw her walking a few steps ahead of him going in the same direction. Both of them were alone, seeing as everyone else had either left or had a class. Now was as good a time as any to start, he supposed. Taking a deep breath, he lengthened his stride and caught up with her easily, falling into step beside her.

"Hey Rin!" he said with a friendly smile.

She turned to look at him, not once slowing her pace. Her eyes showed slight suspicion at his actions. He rarely spoke to her, what reason would he have now?

"Hello, Miroku," she said calmly, hiding the suspicion and deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"No lesson?" he asked cheerfully, praying she wouldn't shut him out.

"Finished for today. You?"

"I'm finished too. Think there's anything good in the café?"

"Maybe."

"Want to have lunch with me?" he asked suddenly.

She paused and looked at him, not bothering to hide the suspicion in her eyes. Sensing she was about to reject him, he hurried on, not giving her an opportunity to speak.

"You wouldn't leave me to eat alone, would you?" he asked, giving her cutest expression he could manage.

She smirked and nodded. "I suppose lunch won't hurt."

"Brilliant!" he exclaimed happily. "My treat!"

Rin allowed herself to be pulled along by Miroku's enthusiasm. She didn't have anything against him, he had always been nice to her, but she was still wary of his sudden attention. Sighing, she decided to push her distrust aside for the moment and followed him over to one of the tables near the back of the café and waited while he disappeared to get food. Miroku returned with two trays of food and a grin.

"Eat up!" he said cheerfully and took a bite out of his sandwich.

"Thanks," she said and ventured a small smile as she picked up a small packet of grapes.

"Do you enjoy being in your band?" Miroku asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Yeah. It's a bit hard getting used to it though," she said, giving him another tiny smile before popping a grape into her mouth.

"It takes a lot of confidence to be a lead singer," he commented.

"It takes a long time to build up that confidence if you don't already have it," she remarked drily. "Inuyasha's lucky."

"We're just lucky Inuyasha decided to join the band, we'd be nothing without him."

"Nonsense," she said and shook her head. "A band isn't made up of one person. Credit for the band's success goes to all of you, not just the vocalist."

"True," Miroku acknowledged. "But without him, we'd wouldn't be the band we are."

Rin nodded and popped the last grape into her mouth, chewing slowly as she gazed out the window. Watching her from subtly, Miroku realised that there was a lot more to Rin than met the eye. She was more intelligent than she gave herself credit for and he found himself intrigued. He hoped that she wouldn't shut him out when he had only just discovered how interesting she was.

"Do you think Kagome likes Inuyasha?" he asked her, searching for anything to start the conversation again.

Rin blinked at the question and put down her drink as she thought over the question. "I suppose she does," she replied thoughtfully before she smirked. "Really it's quite obvious when you think about it."

"About as obvious as it that Kouga like Ayame," Miroku grinned.

"And that you like Sango," Rin returned, a smile pulling her lips.

Miroku blushed and looked away.

"Don't be embarrassed," Rin said softly, leaning back in her seat and watching him. "You'd make a good couple."

"She doesn't like me though," he muttered and raised his eyes to meet hers.

"Don't be so sure," she smiled. "Keep your wandering hands in check for a while and you may be surprised."

"Do you have a boyfriend, Rin?" he asked, watching her closely.

"No," she said, not breaking eye contact.

"How can you not have one?"

"It's pretty easy really," she said with a crooked smile.

"Why not?"

"I haven't met the man who doesn't treat me like an object," she said the first thing that came to mind, then cursed herself for such a stupid line.

"What about those guys you're friends with? Don't any of them meet your standards?"

"They're like my brothers," she replied with a laugh. "It would be awkward being with them in that sort of relationship."

"I suppose it would," Miroku conceded. "I'm glad we had a chance to talk," he said, genuinely meaning what he said.

"Me too," she smiled at him. "But you can tell Sesshoumaru that I'm not interested in someone who finds amusement in playing with me."

He stared at her, dumbfounded. How could she possibly have known that he was trying to find a way to get them together. Miroku narrowed his eyes slightly and then smiled.

"He's not that bad, Rin," he said gently.

"Are you sure?" she questioned.

"He's slightly emotionally stunted, but he wouldn't ever intentionally do anything to hurt someone else."

"Slightly emotionally stunted?" she queried with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay, very emotionally stunted," Miroku said with a laugh, raising his hands in a placating manner. "But he still wouldn't hurt anyone intentionally."

"I don't think he would intentionally hurt anyone," Rin said. "I just don't enjoy being played with like a toy."

"He likes you, you know?"

Rin shrugged. "He'll give up when a woman in a short dress flutters her eyelashes at him."

"He's persistent."

"Until someone better comes along," she repeated and looked Miroku in the eyes. "I have nothing against you or any of the others, Miroku, but I know his type. I'm not foolish enough to fall for anyone who relies on their wealth and looks to get a woman."

"He's not like that. Will you not give him a chance?"

"A chance to prove me right?" she raised an eyebrow again.

"No. Will you not give him a chance to prove that he's not the person you think he is?"

"What would this chance involve?" she asked sceptically.

"Just talk to him, get to know him and let him get to know you," Miroku smiled at her slightly.

Rin narrowed her eyes. "Fine, I'll do it. On one condition."

"What's that?"

"That you try your hardest to show Sango you're not a pervert."

"You're trying to get me together with Sango?" he asked incredulously. "She hates me."

"If you won't give it a try then I won't either. Besides, she doesn't hate you."

Miroku sighed. Helping his friend had now turned against him. In order to help his friend, he was now forced to humiliate himself by going after a woman who clearly didn't like him.

"Fine, I'll try."

"Remember, it works both ways. If you don' try, neither will I." She got to her feet and pulled her bag over her shoulder. She gave him a genuine smile as she turned to leave. "Thank you for lunch, Miroku. It was nice talking to you."

With that, she left the café, leaving Miroku to stare after her, despair and regret swirling through his veins. He should have known getting her to give Sesshoumaru a chance wouldn't be easy, but he wouldn't have thought she would ask him to do something in return. With a sigh, he got to his feet and wandered out to his car before driving off to band practice.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

It was a couple of days after her conversation with Miroku that Rin found herself in the company of Inuyasha and the rest of the band. She had been on her way to the library a few minutes away from the university when she heard her name being called. Turning around, she found Inuyasha standing beside a red car and beckoning her over. With a sigh, she wandered down to where the stood only to find Kouga and Miroku in the car beside him.

"Yes?" she asked, when she stopped beside him.

"The girls are coming to lunch with us, want to come?" Inuyasha asked.

Rin almost sighed aloud at her misfortune. Instead, she closed her eyes briefly before opening them and looking at Miroku who had a tiny grin on his face. If it would not have aroused suspicion, she would have brandished her fist at him for being the cause of her predicament. Turning her gaze back to Inuyasha, she nodded.

"Where?"

"Just the restaurant opposite the library," he grinned.

"Fine. I'll be there after I go to the library."

Without saying another word, she turned and walked away, seething that she had agreed to this. Knowing that Sango would benefit was a small consolation. After visiting the library, she dawdled in the doorway, looking across the road at the restaurant where she could see everyone happily talking. She was tempted to just turn and walk away. Walk away from Miroku's request and just carry on with life as normal. Heaving a sigh, she shifted the two large books in her arms and started towards the restaurant. Miroku grinned at her when he saw her approaching. He made sure to pull up an extra chair between himself and Sesshoumaru. Rin narrowed her eyes at him, but sat down anyway.

The meal passed far too slowly for Rin's liking and she merely sat and ate quietly, not attempting conversation with anyone, let alone the stoic man beside her. She prayed hard throughout the meal that it would end soon and eventually, her prayers were answered. Inuyasha decided that it would be fun to see a film and the others agreed, all except Rin and Sesshoumaru who opted out of the arrangement. Shrugging, Inuyasha had promised to drive everyone to the cinema and left the pair behind in the restaurant to foot the bill. Before leaving, Miroku leaned down and whispered a reminder about their deal into her ear and then left with a wink.

Rin sighed as she watched the group leave. In truth she was glad they had left, trying to socialise was tiring when you didn't feel like it. However, she was now faced with Sesshoumaru and she had no idea what to do. Since Miroku wasn't there, she could just get up and leave, but it was likely that Miroku would find out that she had done so one way or another. Instead, she stayed put and rubbed her aching temples gingerly. She looked up when the bill was placed on the table and her eyes widened in surprise as she grabbed it and examined it.

"He left us to foot the bill!" she exclaimed, her previous thoughts about Sesshoumaru vanishing in an instant.

"He always does that," Sesshoumaru said with a shrug, reaching over to pull the paper from her fingers.

Rin turned to look at him incredulously. "And you just let him do it?"

"It makes no difference who pays it. The money comes from the same account in the end."

"That's not the point!" Rin declared, louder than she intended.

"And what, Ms. Oshiro, is your point?" he asked, fixing his amber eyes on her intently, a smirk tugging his lips.

"That you can't let him walk over you like that all the time," she said with a frown and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're his older brother, not someone who picks up after him."

"Aren't older siblings supposed to look after the younger ones?"

"Well yes, but he's just taking advantage of you!"

Sesshoumaru almost laughed, but settled for a smirk instead. "Why does this bother you? From what I remember you don't like me."

"This isn't about whether or not I like you!" she declared again, irritation beginning to grow inside her. "This is about you putting up with something you shouldn't have to! You could put a stop to it if you wanted to."

"I suppose I could, but in the end, what purpose would that serve? Like I said, the money comes from the same account in the end so why should it matter who pays the bill?"

Rin scowled at him. "You're hopeless," she said quietly, folding her arms again and looking away in annoyance.

Truthfully, she didn't know why it bothered her so much that Inuyasha just left his brother to pick after him. Perhaps it was because she knew that Sesshoumaru could do something about it if he wanted to and yet he didn't. She shouldn't care what he did with his life, but for some reason the thought of him being walked over by his own brother irked her more than he had ever done.

"Perhaps I am," Sesshoumaru shrugged.

"You're not supposed to agree with me!" she glared across the table at him. "You know, you're nothing like I thought you were."

"And what did you think I was?" he smirked at her.

"You always acted so cool and aloof, like nothing bothers you or gets in your way and now I find out you're just a push over. It's kind of disappointing."

"Why would you be disappointed? You don't even like me."

"I thought it was impressive that you wouldn't let anything get in your way of achieving anything."

Rin opened her purse and slammed some money down on the table before standing up and walking out of the restaurant. Sesshoumaru looked down at the money and pocketed it, he put some money on the table and left, trying to catch up with Rin. When he reached the street, he saw her about to turn a corner and ran to catch up with her, pulling her around by the shoulder. She glared at him and crossed her arms, waiting for him to speak.

"You left your money behind," he said, holding out the money to her.

Rin looked from his hand to his face and narrowed her eyes slightly. "It was my share of the bill."

"Do you honestly think I'm the type of man to make a woman pay for her own food?"

"So, you're treating me?" she asked with a smirk.

"I suppose I'm treating everybody."

"As usual."

"Well what am I supposed to do?" Sesshoumaru demanded, beginning to get annoyed. "Am I supposed to change the way I am just because of Inuyasha?"

"Of course not," Rin shook her head and gave him a vague smile. "I know you probably don't want to hear this from me of all people, but you're fine the way you are. You don't need to change. Don't let him walk over you; a handsome face covered in footprints isn't very attractive."

Without another word, Rin turned and left, leaving him staring after her again. When she was sure he wouldn't follow her again, she finally allowed her blush to surface. She couldn't believe she had just said something as stupid as that! 'A handsome covered in footprints isn't very attractive'?! Where did that come from and why did she have to say it to Sesshoumaru of all people? That's not to say she didn't think him attractive, because any woman would agree that he was an Adonis, herself included. However, she still didn't think any different of him, not entirely anyway. Perhaps he was soft on his family? Or maybe Inuyasha was just that crafty that he managed to better his brother? She shrugged, trying to erase what had just happened from her mind with little success.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

After Sesshoumaru had left Rin that day, he had considered what she had said. When he thought about it, he was indeed just being walked over by his brother. He had to smile when her voice repeated her last words to him over and over again. Whether or not those words had been true, they were enough to make him believe that he did stand a chance with her, he just had to prove he was worthy of her affection.

It had been several days since Rin had seen Sesshoumaru and she was profoundly glad. After saying what she did, she doubted she would ever be able to look him in the face again. She desperately tried to avoid him when they weren't in class. Much to the confusion of her friends, she had once again taken to leaving class before everyone else and not reappearing until the next lesson or the next day. The breaks between lessons were not spent primarily with Suikotsu and Bankotsu along with the others when they were around. They too had noticed her desperation to avoid her group of friends and when they questioned her, she had merely laughed and told them they were imagining it. She had decided that it would be best not to confide in Suikotsu and Bankotsu on this matter, it would not be in her best interests or Sesshoumaru's either, not that she particularly cared about Sesshoumaru.

However, soon her luck was bound to run out and it did. Having stayed on campus longer than normal to use the library's resources to study from, Rin found herself one of the few students still on campus when she emerged from the library. It was very late in the afternoon, only about an hour before sunset, she estimated. Sighing, she walked across the dimly lit gardens to the street, savouring the sensation of the slightly chilly breeze against her face. Dark clouds rolled over head and a rumble of thunder encouraged her to walk faster.

She had almost reached the street when an arm reached out and grabbed her elbow, pulling her off the path and into the shadows of one of the buildings. Her first instinct was to scream, but soft, cold lips descended on hers. Rin's body went rigid for a moment before pushing furiously against the person that held her in place, successfully silencing her with a kiss, albeit a very good kiss. She gasped for breath as she stared up into Sesshoumaru's amber eyes.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, a deadly cocktail of anger and fear coursing through her.

"Kissing you," he stated simply and leaned toward her again.

Rin sidestepped him and straightened her clothes before crossing her arms across her chest and glaring at him. She couldn't believe he had done that. Did he not know there was a time and place for such things?

"No, you're not," she said flatly, then her gaze dropped and her voice took an almost vulnerable tone. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I like you," he replied simply, lifting her chin gently to look into her eyes.

"There is a time and place for such things," she said softly, not meeting his gaze.

"The place is here and the time is now. You can't avoid me forever."

"I can try."

"But you will fail."

Rin smirked and looked away, dislodging his fingers from her chin as she did so. How could he be so certain of that? But when she thought about it, as much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She couldn't run forever, he would catch her eventually.

"Why do you run from me?" he asked, stepping closer and cupping her face gently with a large hand.

"You'll hurt me," she whispered, trying to ignore how right it felt for him to touch her.

Sesshoumaru stared at her for a moment, startled by her sudden confession and vulnerability. He opened his mouth to speak but his words were cut off by a loud rumble of thunder directly overhead. Breaking their gaze, he looked up to the sky just in time to feel tiny drops fall on his face. Cursing the weather, Sesshoumaru looked down at Rin who had suddenly gone rigid and frighteningly pale. As another rumble of thunder came, he noticed her nails dig in to her arms and realised that she feared thunder. Logic dictated that if she feared thunder, then she should also fear lightning. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he decided to act on impulse and face the consequences later. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her startled form towards his car and bundled her inside.

Rin was too stunned to protest and only realised what had happened when the car stopped outside a large house. She turned to look at him with a questioning gaze.

"This is my home," he said simply as he looked at it through the sheets of rain pouring from the heavens. "You can stay here until the rain stops."

"I can't go in there!" she declared, pointing at the house, rain forgotten. "What if Inuyasha's there?"

"He won't be. He's with Kagome, but if it makes you feel any better, you can stay in my room, he wouldn't dare go inside."

Rin narrowed her eyes and weighed her options. She didn't really have much choice. "Fine."

Nodding, Sesshoumaru led the way to the door and then up to his room where she gazed around in awe. The large room was about the size of her whole apartment and this was just one room. Quietly, she sat on the edge of the bed and watched as he disappeared briefly, reappearing moments later with a towel for her hair.

"Are you clothes very wet?" he asked as he dried his own hair.

When he received no answer, he looked up to find her blushing hard, the towel clutched close to her, shielding her from view. Tilting his head slightly to one side, looked at her curiously.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, frowning slightly.

Rin's blushed deepened. "I… uh… my dress… is white," she stammered, avoiding his gaze.

"I see," he murmured, the frown disappearing in favour of a smirk. He walked over to the wardrobe and withdrew something darkly coloured before handing it to her. "Put that on."

Upon closer examination, Rin discovered that she held a black t-shirt. She nodded gratefully and disappeared into the bathroom he showed her to change while he did the same in the bedroom. It was only when she pulled it over her head that she realised how long it was, almost reaching her knees. At least she wouldn't have too much flesh on show, but it was still far too much to be comfortable with. With a sigh, she opened the door and stepped out.

"Sesshoumaru?" she said, standing in the doorway, tugging the hem of the shirt down further.

"Hm?" he turned round and almost grinned at her shy expression.

"It's a bit short," she said, tugging the hem down again.

With a soft sigh, he walked over to the bed and pulled back the covers. "Get in. You'll be able to cover yourself."

Nodding, Rin did as he suggested. Sitting in the middle of the bed, she pulled the covers up around her and watched as Sesshoumaru sat down in the chair behind his desk, his black button up shirt hanging open to reveal his chest. He returned her gaze until a flash of lightning lit up the slowly darkening room. She shuddered and sank down into the bed, pulling the covers securely around her. With a frown, Sesshoumaru thought back to the conversation they had been having before it started raining.

"Rin," he said suddenly, causing her to look up from where she was huddled in his bed.

"What?"

"You're wrong."

"About what?" she asked, perplexed.

"I would never hurt you," he said so quietly she wondered if she had heard him right.

With a sigh, Rin sank down beneath the covers again, trying very hard to ignore how his scent seemed to calm her. She couldn't think of anything to say so she opted to remain silent.

"Why is it that you won't let a man into your life?" Sesshoumaru asked, full of curiosity.

"Because they'll hurt me," she mumbled, cowering slightly as lightning lit the room again and thunder crashed ahead.

Sesshoumaru got to his feet and walked over to the bed, sitting down within touching distance, but not touching her.

"Did a man hurt you?" he asked, looking into her eyes, before she tore her gaze away. Taking her silence for a yes, he pressed on, determined to get answers from the silent girl. "What did he do?"

Rin's eyes flicked to his for a moment before going back to the window. As she did so, she surreptitiously pulling the covers further up to cover her arms, but not before his sharp eyes caught her movements. A masculine hand reached out and gently closed around one of her wrists, pulling the arm from beneath the covers. Her face showed shock, but her eyes held panic and he lowered his eyes to look at her arm. He caught his breath as he saw tiny scars running up and down the length of said arm. A long finger traced one of the scars and he saw her wince slightly.

"What caused this?" he asked, his eyes running over the tiny scars.

"Cigarettes," she said quietly, knowing that she could no longer hide from this man.

"What of the longer ones?"

"Things thrown at me, sharp objects," she shrugged and looked away.

At a loss for words, Sesshoumaru released the arm and pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her tightly. In some way, he had hoped that through teasing her, she would sense his interest in her and gradually let him into her life, but it had had the opposite effect. Had he known then what he knew now, he would have been direct about it. It angered him that a man could do such a thing to Rin. She was timid and vulnerable. Pulling back from her, he looked into her eyes.

"You thought I would do this to you?" he questioned softly. She nodded and bit her lip. "Never, Rin. You are precious and ought to be cherished, not forced to suffer."

Her eyes widened at his words. "Sesshoumaru…"

"I would cherish you, adore you, love you," he whispered as he pulled her close again.

"Are you aware of what you're saying?" she asked, eyes still wide. "You can't take back words like that."

"I wouldn't ever take them back."

Rin was stumped. She sat on the bed wrapped in Sesshoumaru's embrace, the thunder and lightning forgotten as she faced this dilemma. Did she let him into her life and pray for the best? Or did she keep him at arm's length a while longer? Both thought swirled around in her mind along with the implications that would accompany each one. He had just told her he would never hurt her, but she couldn't bring herself to believe it. Not completely. With a sigh, she raised her hands and pushed against Sesshoumaru's chest, pulling away from as she did so.

"Sesshoumaru," she started, not able to meet his gaze. "I don't doubt that you mean what you say, but how can you say such things when you know nothing about me?"

"Why don't you tell me then?" he suggested quietly, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face.

"I… uh…" Rin gaped at him. She hadn't meant for him to ask for her life story. "I wouldn't know what to say."

Sesshoumaru smirked slightly at her honestly and watched as she continued to examine the covers that hid her legs closely. She had been honest with him so far, but how much longer would she cooperate before returned to her distant self? He had to make the most of this opportunity. He raised her chin with his fingers and looked into her eyes.

"If I were to ask you about yourself, would you answer?" he asked.

"I might," she said and her small smirk told him that despite her previous honesty, she was not going to make this easy him at all.

He sighed. "Why were you with that man if this is what he did to you?"

"The simple answer would be because I loved him," she said and leaned back against his pillows, looking out at the pouring rain. "But it was more than that."

Not wanting to pry into something she may not want to divulge, Sesshoumaru sat quietly, watching her and waiting for her to continue. Rin sighed and closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the pillows as she cast her memory back.

"It seemed so right at the time, although I was only 17 and probably quite delusional," she said and smirked, still not opening her eyes. "It was flattering that someone like him thought me worthy of his attention. I'll never understand why he chose me though. I suppose it's fairly obvious that he just wanted someone to dominate and yet, despite it all, I still loved him. If I closed my eyes, the pain would disappear and he would be there waiting for me with a smile and open arms. Deluded is probably not a strong enough word." She opened her eyes then and looked out at the rain again. "In the end, I should've run as far away from him as I could when I had the chance. Maybe if I had, I wouldn't be the way I am now."

She stared out the window after that quiet revelation and unconsciously raised a hand to rub her right wrist. Sesshoumaru stared at her. He had never expected that kind of response. Truthfully, he had expected her to tell him that it was none of his business. He too looked out the window and found it complete dark outside, save the flashes of lightning that still lit up the area. It didn't feel like they had been here very long, but in reality, it had been nearly 2 hours. Sighing he stood up and looked down at her. Just as he was about to ask if she was hungry, her stomach growled loudly and she blushed crimson, their previous conversation forgotten.

Sesshoumaru smirked. "I was just about to ask if you're hungry. I'll go make some food."

Rin nodded and watched him leave silently. With a sigh, she slid down further beneath the covers and closed her eyes as lightning lit the room and thunder rolled ahead. Despite not being completely covered by the bed covers, she tightly held onto the pillow beneath her head and tried to block out the sound of thunder.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

In the time Sesshoumaru had been upstairs with Rin; Inuyasha had come home from Kagome's and looked for his brother, eager to discuss their band's next performance. After searching the ground floor and not seeing any trace of his sibling, Inuyasha decided to change clothes before looking any further. Now dressed in dry clothes, he walked down the corridor to Sesshoumaru's bedroom and knocked, not really expecting a response. As long as Inuyasha knocked before entering, Sesshoumaru didn't mind him coming into his room. Fully expecting to find his brother seated at his desk as usual, Inuyasha pushed the door open and was about to step inside when he looked around the room.

It was unusual for Sesshoumaru to not have the lights in the room on. He may like his solitude, but darkness was too far, even for him. Inuyasha was about to go back downstairs to see if he was there, when lightning lit up the room and something caught his eye. Looking closer, he saw the shape of a body lying in the messy bed and he smirked. Evidently his brother had found someone to keep him company while he was alone. Inuyasha's sharp eyes flicked over the woman's body until they landed on her face and he struggled to contain his gasp of shock. There in Sesshoumaru's bed, dressed in what was unmistakably one of his shirts, was Rin!


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:**Thank you for all the reviews ^_^

**Chapter 7**

After the incident on the rainy day, Rin had decided that Sesshoumaru was not as bad as she had initially thought. However, she was still embarrassed that she had revealed that much to him. The only other people who knew were Bankotsu and the others and now Sesshoumaru was added to the list. She wondered if it was a good thing that he knew and couldn't decide.

It had been nearly a week since that day and now the sun shone brightly overhead as though that day had never happened. Rin sighed happily as she walked across the university's garden to have lunch beneath the trees with Bankotsu and Suikotsu, perhaps even the other two. The four men were already seated when she got there and dropped down beside Renkotsu. They were just about to start eating, when Miroku appeared in the doorway of a nearby building and beckoned her over.

"What is it, Miroku?" she asked as she approached. "I'm hungry, you know."

"You know," he started, leaning against a wall and looking at her with a crooked grin. "When I suggested you let Sesshoumaru get to know you, I didn't really mean for you to do it _**that**_ way."

"That way?" she repeated in confusion.

"Don't try to act innocent, Rin," he said with a grin. "I know you slept with Sesshoumaru."

Rin gaped at him. "What?!"

"Inuyasha saw you in his bed."

"Damn…" she murmured and shoved her hands in her pockets. "This is a huge misunderstanding," she tried to tell Miroku.

"Sure it is," he grinned again.

"This is your fault," she said and pointed a finger at him. "If you hadn't convinced me to make that deal with you, I wouldn't have to try to clear up this misunderstanding."

She stalked away from him and made her way back to the where her four friends sat waiting for her. Miroku grinned and waved at her retreating figure.

"Don't blame me!" he shouted across the garden after her. "Be more careful next time! Close the door or something!"

Rin sat down beside the men with a scowl and picked up her drink, downing what was left of its content quickly and crushing the can in her hand. Her friends stared at her unusual display of anger and debated whether or not to question her about it.

"Damn," she muttered, almost crushing the now empty can of drink in her hand.

"You alright?" Jakotsu asked, eying her warily.

"Fine. I need to go though."

The four men stared in surprise as she picked up her bag and got to her feet, stalking away. Rin fumed as she walked, but she prayed Inuyasha had not spoken to anyone other than Miroku about what he had seen. She rounded a corner and leaned against the wall with a sigh. If only she had known that just one afternoon spent with that damn Sesshoumaru would lead to this stupidly embarrassing situation. She didn't even understand why she was so embarrassed about the idea of it. It wasn't like she liked him, as a friend or otherwise. She was going to give him a wide berth now lest any more fanciful rumours start. With a frown, she stood up and looked around, wondering where Inuyasha could be, but a flash of white hair disappearing into the music department caught her eye. Rin hesitated, thinking it may have been Sesshoumaru, but decided to go and see anyway.

As she walked through the corridor, she glanced into the practice rooms and lecture rooms, hoping to find Inuyasha and it was only when she was nearing the end of the corridor that she looked into a room and saw the whole group having lunch and chatting amicably. Opening the door, Rin stepped inside and walked towards the group. Miroku noticed and struggled to suppress a smile. Instead of the usual greeting, she merely nodded at everyone before grabbing Inuyasha's arm and pulling him outside.

"What's going on?" he demanded, eyes wide with confusion as he stood in the corridor.

"Who else have you told?" Rin ignored his question. "Who else knows about what you saw?"

Inuyasha grinned when he understood what was going on. "Only Miroku."  
"Good. Now listen," she paused and took a deep breath. "I can understand how you could misinterpret what you saw and that was entirely my own fault for not being more careful, but you are mistaken."

"Mistaken?" The man in front of her seemed deflate with disappointment.

"I was only there because he brought me there and I was in bed because I didn't particularly want to expose myself to him when wearing only a shirt since my clothes were wet."

"I see."

Inuyasha sighed and wondered whether to believe her or not, but when he thought about her story and what the pair were like, it seemed more believable than her actually sleeping with his brother. He gave her a rueful smile and rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Sorry, Rin. I guess I jumped to conclusions. After all, there's no way you would go out with someone like Sesh, let alone sleep with him. Don't worry, only Miroku knows and he won't say anything."

Rin's eyes widened as he pushed past her and walked back into the room without another word. She stared at his retreating figure before walking slowly out of the building and toward the street, deciding to give her last class a miss. There had been something quite sad about the way Inuyasha had seemed so disappointed when she corrected the mistake. For some reason it bothered her and his comment about her not going out with someone like Sesshoumaru made her wonder what had caused him to say something like that. Suddenly, she thought that maybe Sesshoumaru had told his brother what she had told him, but then realised that he may not be her favourite person and he may be irritating, but he was trustworthy. She sighed and left the campus, thinking over the day's events.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Sesshoumaru sighed as he sat in his car outside the venue where his band were due to perform that night. He lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply, leaning back in his seat as he blew smoke into the air above his head. What Rin had told him a week ago still played on his mind although he tried to push it aside. It was understandable that such experience would change her behaviour and personality to an extent, but he couldn't help but wonder what she been like before the incident.

"You really ought to stop that," a quiet voice spoke from the shadows near the building, startling Sesshoumaru out of his thoughts.

"Stop what?"

He got to his feet and looked towards the voice, surprised to see none other than Rin walking towards him. After the story he had heard from Inuyasha about him supposedly sleeping her, it was amazing that she had come anywhere near him and that she was criticising him for his smoking amused him.

"Smoking."

"And if I don't?" he asked, deliberately blowing a large cloud of smoke into the air between then, smirking when she grimaced.

"Your funeral," Rin replied with a shrug and turned to walk into the building.

"What are you doing here?" Sesshoumaru asked, putting out his cigarette as he approached her. "Your band isn't performing tonight."

"I'm here to watch the show like everyone else."

"I see."

Without a word, Sesshoumaru took her hand in his and placed it on his arm, leading her into the small bar. Rin stared at him in surprise and opened her mouth to protest, but decided against it when she realised what he was doing. The stoic man was ensuring that she got a decent seat and that she had a drink in front of her before he disappeared, leaving her sitting alone at the table directly in front of the stage.

Rin sighed to herself and sunk down in her seat, looking around in hopes of seeing someone she knew. Realising she was completely alone, she sighed again, picking up her glass and cautiously sipping its contents. Her eyes widened and she took another sip before sitting back and looking thoughtfully at the glass. There was definitely champagne in that drink which meant that it was bound to be fairly expensive and she wondered whether Sesshoumaru knew how expensive the drink was. Knowing that he had bought her something which she would probably never be able to afford, she allowed herself to relax slightly and revise her opinion of the man.

"That was a good show, don't you think, Sesh?" Kouga said happily, clapping his friend on the back as he walked past.

Sesshoumaru didn't bother to reply as he carefully put his guitar on the back seat of his car. Normally all the equipment went in the same vehicle, but since he knew that his brother and fellow band mates were not heading back to their makeshift studio, he didn't trust his precious guitar would be looked after. Sitting in his car, he leaned forward; elbows on his knees as he blew a smoke ring out into the cold night air in front of him and watched as the rest of the band disappeared into the night.

"I thought we discussed your habit earlier?" a familiar feminine voice said from nearby.

"You're still here?" Sesshoumaru asked, eyebrows lifting in surprise as he eyed the woman leaning against a wall nearby.

"I wanted to thank you," Rin replied honestly.

"What for?"

"The drink."

"Don't mention it," he replied calmly, lifting his cigarette to his mouth once again; trying to hide his joy that she was still here and talking to him no less!

Rin smirked at his display of calmness and pushed herself off the wall and sauntered towards him like a predator advancing on its prey. After spending most of the evening trying to decide what to do about the man's obvious attraction to her, she had arrived at the conclusion that she couldn't hide from men forever. Perhaps Sesshoumaru was just what she needed? Much as she hated to admit it, she had felt safe when he had been with her the day of the thunderstorm and she hadn't felt in the least bit uncomfortable with what she had told him, although she knew that she probably should. Even though she was going to allow him into her life a little more, she decided that she was definitely going to make him prove that he was worthy of her affections.

"That drink was expensive." Rin came to a stop beside him and leaned casually against the side of his car.

Sesshoumaru shrugged, not sure what to make of her sudden change in behaviour. Why was she making such a fuss over a drink? So what if it was expensive, it didn't matter. He lifted his eyes to meet hers and was slightly surprised to see a sultry look in her eyes although he wondered if maybe she had had a bit too much to drink. She didn't seem intoxicated, her movements were as graceful as always and her speech wasn't slurred, in fact, everything about her was just perfect. His eyes widened imperceptibly when she leaned down until she could look directly into his eyes.

"That drink…" Rin inched closer to him, her eyes taking in his wary expression. "Do you know what it was?"

Just as he was about to respond that he neither knew nor cared what the drink was, Rin pressed her lips against his gently. For a moment, neither of them moved and Sesshoumaru felt like his surprise had turned him to stone as he sat there, the woman he wanted kissing him and him unable to respond. Rin smiled to herself and teasingly traced his closed lips with the tip of her tongue before she heard him utter a low growl as he seemed to spring to life again, eagerly responding to her gentle movements. She let him deepen the kiss and allowed herself to lose herself in the passion of the moment before she pulled away from him and gave him a full, dazzling smile.

"It was a Goodnight Kiss."

Giving him another smile, Rin straightened and turned around, leaving him speechless. Sesshoumaru sat unmoving in his car, sure that he had once again been turned to stone. Unable to form any words, he merely watched as she disappeared down the dimly lit street, her hips swaying enticingly as she moved. As realisation of what had just happened belatedly dawned on him, Sesshoumaru smirked. He hadn't known what the drink was called, but if that was the result of drinking one, he was going to make sure Rin drank more of them.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN**: Thank you for the reviews for the last chapter :) I have written some more chapters for Murder Most Foul, The Newsreader, Blessing or Curse and this story that just need to be checked for errors. Unfortunately, my computer and memory stick aren't talking to each so I may have to start them all from scratch if I can't find a solution. My knowledge of computers and all things related to them is fairly limited so please bear with me. I'll get everything updated as soon as I can :)

**Chapter 8**

Sesshoumaru struggled to come to terms with what had happened after the band's last performance and was still no closer to understanding the motivation behind Rin's actions two weeks later than he had been on the night it happened. The lessons they had together were torture for him and his lack of concentration was beginning to affect his studies much to his annoyance. Rin's behaviour didn't seem any different from normal when one was on the outside looking in, but Sesshoumaru was definitely not on the outside looking in. He was very much on the inside looking out.

He sat back in his seat at the back of the class and looked at the woman in question who sat near the front of the class. Her hair was tied up in its usual bun and she looked as normal as ever. As if she sensed his gaze, Rin looked over her shoulder and met his gaze. For a moment, Sesshoumaru felt as though his breath had been forced from his lungs as she looked back at him intensely before the corner of her mouth lifted up in the tiniest of smiles and she returned her attention to the front of the room. This wasn't the first time this had happened; it seemed that it was becoming a regular occurrence.

"C'mon, Sesh!" Kouga said with a grin, beckoning his friend over from the doorway.

Rin watched in amusement as Sesshoumaru got to his feet with a sigh and walked towards the door where his friends waited. She had deliberately kept her distance from him since the night at the bar, waiting to see if he would approach her to question her actions, but much to her disappointment, he didn't. Frowning, Rin sighed quietly as she watched him leave the room.

"Got your eye on someone, Rin?" Kagome asked with a sly grin as she sat on her friend's desk.

"Maybe," Rin replied, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms.

Hearing the little exchange, Sango grinned and pulled a chair up to where they sat while Ayame chose to sit on a nearby desk, eager to hear about this new revelation in her quiet friend's social life.

"Can it be?" Sango exclaimed dramatically. "Could our Rin have finally found a man worthy of her attentions?"

Rin laughed. "No need for such dramatics, Sango. Maybe you've been around Miroku too much and his habits are rubbing off on you?"

"He's not nearly as dramatic as you think he is," her friend replied with a smile.

"That's all beside the point!" Kagome said, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation. "Does he know?"

"Who is it?" Ayame demanded, feeling left out of the conversation.

"Sesshoumaru," Sango said matter-of-factly.

"Really? I thought you hated him?"

Rin shrugged nonchalantly. She hadn't really intended to have this conversation with her friends just yet, but evidently they had taken the decision out of her hands. When she thought about it, they could probably give her some useful advice.

"Well?" Kagome pressed, looking at her friend intently. "Does he know?"

Smirking, Rin thought back to the last time she spoke to him. "I'd say he has an inkling."

"An inkling?" Sango said with a raised eyebrow. "I guess that means both of you have realised your feelings and have done nothing about it?"

"I wouldn't say we've done nothing about it," Rin corrected.

"What have you done then?" Kagome interrupted, deciding to take control of the situation.

"We kissed a couple of times."

"You and Sesshoumaru?" Ayame gasped in surprise. "I didn't think he'd be capable of something like that."

"What are you going to do now?" Sango asked, ignoring Ayame's outburst.

"I guess I'll just see what happens."

"You need to take initiative, Rin," Kagome advised sagely. "If he's anything like his brother, he'll be a bit slow realising that you feel the same way he does."

Sighing, Rin closed her eyes and thought over her friend's words, knowing that she was right. Inuyasha had been very slow realising that Kagome liked him and it worried her that Sesshoumaru would be the same, although part of her told her that he was more intelligent than his brother. What would happen if he found someone else before he realised that she liked him? She'd be back at square one – avoiding all men for fear of being hurt.

"Well what do you suggest I do then?" Rin asked, feeling worry creep into her mind. "You all know how limited my experiences are with men."

"We'll help you," Ayame said cheerfully, patting her on the shoulder.

"We have no classes this afternoon," Sango said excitedly. "We can start today!"

Unbeknownst to the chattering women, three men stood in the hallway outside the room listening to the conversation in surprise. Miroku looked at Inuyasha who looked as though he had just seen a ghost. The idea of someone liking his brother had been surprising, but the fact that his stoic seemingly asexual brother had kissed this woman, not once but twice! He shuddered to think about what else his brother had done that he didn't know about.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rin sighed as she stared at herself in the mirror just a couple of days later. The person looking back at her didn't really look like herself and she wasn't sure that it was an image that suited her, but her friends insisted that it did so she just had to trust their judgement. The trio of girls had organised a group get-together that night and were currently spending as much of their time as possible ensuring that Rin looked spectacular. Normally, she wouldn't bother with make up or fancy clothing, but her friends insisted that it was necessary for tonight.

Later, when they were approaching the restaurant where they would meet the four men, Rin found herself receiving tips of all kinds from the trio of women. She sat in the back of Ayame's car beside Kagome and wondered how she was supposed to remember any of the information they were drilling into her head.

"Remember the eye contact," Kagome said, looking out the window as the building came into view.

"Not too much though!" Ayame said from the front. "Maintain it for a short time and then look away."

"Don't forget to smile," Sango added, turning in her seat to grin at her friend. "This is so cute!"

Rin sighed and unbuckled her seat belt as the car rolled to a stop. While she stood beside the car with the other girls, she smoothed her dress down and wished she hadn't told them about Sesshoumaru. Just as she wondering how she could get out of the situation, she felt someone nudge her in the side and looked up to see Kagome looking straight ahead at the three males approaching them. Her jaw almost dropped when she saw that they were all dressed as smartly as the girls. Perhaps it was a fancy restaurant?

Somehow through the course of the evening, everyone ended up paired up, although it didn't really surprise Rin that much. Kagome and Inuyasha had been a couple for a while. Miroku and Sango were working their way towards a relationship slowly, but she was at a complete loss as to what was happening between Kouga and Ayame. They fought like cat and dog, but there was obviously something between them despite their disagreements.

The meal passed quickly which allowed Rin to relax a little more when she sensed an end to the evening approaching rapidly. Much to her surprise, Inuyasha and the rest of them left soon after the meal, once again leaving Sesshoumaru to foot the bill. If she had been the suspicious type, she could've sworn that everyone was trying to set them up and that this was their discreet way of throwing the pair together. She rolled her eyes slightly as she watched them leave the restaurant, knowing that at least one of her friends would end up in a bed that didn't belong to them.

"Another drink?" the waiter appeared beside the table, clutching a bottle of champagne, ready to pour the liquid in their glasses.

"Please," Sesshoumaru said gruffly, training his eyes on the rapidly filling glasses.

"I didn't know you were planning to treat me again," Rin said, catching his gaze briefly then looking away, just like Ayame had taught her.

"They don't serve cocktails here, I'm afraid," he said, watching as she daintily picked up one of the grapes on the plate in front of them.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes as he watched her. She definitely looked stunning, there was no questioning that, but what put him on edge was the look in her eyes. It reminded him so much of their last encounter that he decided it was best to be slightly wary of the woman. It was difficult to try and understand her thoughts as she seemed to have learnt how to hide them expertly behind a calm mask, much like his own.

"You've been avoiding me," she said with a vague smile as she watched him carefully.

"I think you've been avoiding me," Sesshoumaru replied in a seemingly calm manner.

Rin laughed. "I guess we've both been avoiding each other then."

"How are you getting home?" he asked, desperate for a topic change.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I didn't think of that."

Sighing, Sesshoumaru got to his feet and motioned for her to follow. "Come on then."

Rin followed him out of the building, almost crashing into him when she found him standing in the doorway looking out with a frown. Curiously, she peered over his shoulder to see sheets of rain falling from the heavens and the trees leaning almost at right angles in the strong winds. Rin watched as he turned back into the restaurant and approached the front desk.

"What is the weather forecast for tonight?" Sesshoumaru asked.

The man stared at him for a moment in surprise at the strange question. "Rain, sir."

"Thank you."

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to sigh and rub his temples. He didn't mind spending time with Rin, in fact he'd like nothing more than to spend more time with her, but he didn't like the dressed up Rin that she was tonight. She was exceptionally beautiful, but he had to admit that he liked her best when she was her usual self. Shaking his head to clear it of such thoughts, he walked over to the door and pulled off his jacket before turning to Rin.

"What're you doing?" she question in confusion when she felt the jacket drape over her head and shoulders.

"Do you want to get wet?"

She remained silent and stared at him. Who'd have thought he'd be so considerate to her not once, but twice? Shock ran through her as she felt him take one of her hands in his own and open the door wide before making his way towards his car that waited nearby. When they were on their way, Rin turned in her seat slightly to look at him. There was something very appealing about his seriousness and she had to admit that he still looked devastatingly good looking even when his hair was wet and clinging to his skin. Sighing softly, she wondered how he had somehow managed to change her somewhere along the way.

"What do we do now? Rin asked, deciding that he was leaving it up to her to break the silence.

Sesshoumaru opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by his phone ringing loudly. "One moment," he nodded to Rin as he scowled at the phone telling him it ws Inuyasha.

"Sesh?"

"What?"

"Are you and Rin still at the restaurant?"

"Yes."

"I think you two should leave soon."

"Why?"

"It's raining…"

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru interrupted, beginning to get annoyed. "Did you phone me just to give me a weather update? I can see that it's raining."

"Well, no. I didn't call just for that."

"Then what is it?"

"We just heard that the rain's not going to let up for a couple of days." There was a moment of silence. "There might be a typhoon."

"That's unfortunate," Sesshoumaru replied, looking thoughtfully at Rin as he spoke.

"Yeah, you two may want to get home just in case it does happen."

"What will you do?"

"We're all at Kagome's so we're okay."

Sesshoumaru stared at the phone when there was a moment of silence and then something that sounded like a series of whispers before the sound of a man in pain came across the line.

"Sesshoumaru?" This time it was Kagome.

"Yes?"

"Please look after Rin. Storms make her quite uncomfortable."

"I'm aware of this."

"You are?" she sounded surprised. "Well just go somewhere safe."

"We will."

"Take care of yourselves."

The line went dead and he was once again left staring at the phone. Sighing, he shook his head slightly as he pocketed the phone. Why was everyone making such a big deal out of this? It was just a typhoon, not the end of the world. Sure it caused a mess and a few people died, but as long as they were somewhere safe, Sesshoumaru saw no reason to panic about the situation. Feeling a gaze on him, he turned to see Rin looking at him curiously, clearly wanting to know what was happening.

"We will go to your home first," he said, turning in his seat to look at the beautiful woman beside him. "Then we will both return to mine."

"Why?" Rin stared at him in confusion. If that was supposed to be a romantic proposition, then he had failed miserably.

"According to my brother, a typhoon has been predicted," Sesshoumaru paused and watched realisation dawn on her face. "If I remember correctly, you do not like storms."

"No," she said quietly, looking out over at the rain.

"Then you are not to be left alone. We will return to my home after visiting yours."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

By the time they reached Sesshoumaru's house an hour later, the rain had lessened, but the wind still blew ferociously. If it had been any other situation, he would have found the fact that the wind nearly blew Rin over as she got out the car quite amusing, but he decided that she probably wouldn't appreciate humour just then. Instead, he took her bag from her and guided her towards the door, ushering her inside quickly once he had unlocked it. Taking her hand, he tugged her gently along beside as he made his way up the stairs and to the bedroom.

"I won't be using a guest room?" she squeaked in surprise as she once again found herself standing in Sesshoumaru's enormous bedroom.

"We have none," Sesshoumaru said and looked at her with mild amusement. "You will have to stay here unless you prefer the sofa downstairs."

"Point taken," Rin said with a sigh and looked around before her eyes settled on the bed. "Can I not just sleep on the floor?"

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "You think I would let you sleep on the floor?"

Rin gave him a crooked smile and looked up at him from beneath her lashes. "No, but it was worth a try."

Rin withheld a laugh as she watched him shake his head slightly, the tinniest of the smiles gracing his lips before he turned and put her bag on the bed and leaving the room briefly. When he returned, he placed a towel beside her bag and she nodded her thanks. At least the man was considerate and knew how to treat guests. She doubted she would receive the same treatment had she been with Inuyasha instead.

"I suggest you get changed," Sesshoumaru said as he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over the back of his desk chair, loosening his tie as he turned back to face her.

Sesshoumaru sighed as he watched the bathroom door close behind Rin. He liked to be in control of things and everything that had anything to do with Rin was beyond his control and it was frustrating him no end. First she doesn't like him, then she opens up to him, then she kisses him. Did that mean she was going accept his feelings toward her? Or did it simply mean that she was playing with him, humouring him until he lost interest? He sat down heavily on the bed and carefully thought over the situation. Surely she had some interest in him, even if only a little? The simplest solution would be to simply ask her where he stood, but his pride stood in the way and he felt himself unable to ask. Regardless of her motivation, Sesshoumaru decided that the best thing he could do was to go along with her advances, humour her and see where it led. He might get an answer out of her actions.

Rin emerged from the bathroom dressed in a pair of trousers and a long t-shirt that was clearly not hers. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the shirt, knowing that it was definitely a man's shirt. He didn't like the idea of her being dressed in another man's clothing, even though he knew that it probably belonged to one of her two band mates. A vision of her dressed in his shirt the last time she had been in this room flashed through his mind and he discovered that he liked that image a lot more.

"So what are we going to do?" Rin asked, sitting in the centre of the, legs crossed and head tilted as she looked at him curiously.

"About what?"

"We aren't going to sit here in silence until the rain passes, are we?"

"I have work to do," Sesshoumaru said, leaning back in his chair to look at her before waving his hand around the room. "Feel free to look for something to entertain you."

Rin stared at him in surprise, not sure if he meant what he said or was merely trying to appease her. Her curiosity, however, had been piqued when he said that he had work to do. She wondered what that work could be, it was obviously not work from class because they had none that was due in. She was just about to question him about it when he rose to his feet and crossed the room, approaching a large cabinet that sat directly opposite the bed. Rin gasped when she saw the television kept discreetly inside the cabinet and was stunned when Sesshoumaru dropped the remote on the bed beside her.

"Maybe that will alleviate your boredom," he said quietly before sitting down in his chair and switching on his desk light, leaving the rest of the room to bask in the glow from the television screen.

After watching him for a few minutes, Rin decided that perhaps the television was going to be her only source of entertainment since Sesshoumaru was now thoroughly engrossed in whatever work he had on the desk in front of him. Sighing, she flicked through the channels, hoping that there would at least be something decent to watch. Having gone through them all twice, she finally settled for a film that she had seen a couple of times before. Romantic comedies were never really her favourite type of film, but there was nothing else on so she had to make do with what she had.

Time passed quickly and Sesshoumaru eventually turned around in his seat when he realised that it was already past midnight. The sound from the television was low and it's glow illuminated the room just enough to make out the shapes of everything in the room. Rising to his feet, he made his way over to the side of the bed he normally slept on to turn on the light, but he paused when his eyes fell on the figure lying on the bed. At some point during the film, Rin had fallen asleep and obviously made herself quite comfortable. She had curled up into a ball, clutching his pillow to her chest and the faintest hints of a smile on her lips. Her long hair cascaded down her back and over her shoulders, making her appear almost childlike.

Sesshoumaru couldn't help staring at the woman in awe. Her beauty never ceased to amaze him. When he came to his senses, he realised that he should probably take a leaf out of her book and get some sleep as well, although he doubted he would get much knowing that she shared his bed. Shaking the thought from his head, Sesshoumaru slipped beneath the covers, making sure there was a respectable distance between the pair of them. He felt a wave of weariness overwhelm him and he looked at Rin again before falling asleep, a smile gracing his lips as he knew that she would plague his dreams that night.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The next dawned dull, cold and very wet. It had rained for most of the night and the heavy black clouds that hung low over the city threatened yet more rain. The wind had died at some point, but had left a path of destruction in its wake. The once beautiful garden that surrounded Sesshoumaru's home was now a wreck. Leaves and bits of rubbish from overturned trash cans scattered the lush green lawn and many of the weaker trees had been uprooted, now lying with their roots exposed. Although the damage done was not serious, it would take quite some time to put right.

Sesshoumaru cracked an eye open, reminding himself to shut the curtains next time as the dull light was blinding after waking from his peaceful slumber. Lifting an arm to shield his eyes, he sighed softly as he tried to wake himself up. After his eyes had adjusted, he looked around and was stunned to feel a presence at his side. Panic coursed through him as he tried to recall the events of the night before, but it subsided soon enough when he remembered that Rin was staying here as well. Sesshoumaru lowered his gaze to the figure that slept beside him and he couldn't help the wave of affection that he felt for the woman.

At some point during the night she had closed the distance he had put between them and was now beside him, stretched out like a cat and one of her small hands curled around his arm as though she were anchoring him to the bed. She was so close that Sesshoumaru could feel her breath against his arm and as he looked at her, he found himself wondering what to do. He doubted that he could get up without waking her up, but staying in bed when he wasn't tired was not a very good use of time, even if the woman he had been chasing after for so long was in his bed. Suppressing a sigh, he carefully pried her fingers from his arm and was relieved when she sighed softly before rolling over. A small smile crossed Sesshoumaru's face as he watched her as he got out of bed. She could so much like a child sometimes that it amused him. He pulled the covers up over her before disappearing for a shower.

When he returned, Rin was still fast asleep. Smiling slightly, he sat down at his desk to start working for a while before she awoke as he doubted she would let him for very long when she was awake.

After what seemed like an age, Rin finally woke up and Sesshoumaru paused his work to look at her when he heard a soft mumble coming from the bed. She rolled over onto her back, stretching her arms above her head, causing her shirt to ride up and allowing him to see a small stretch of pale skin. Her arms fell back down over her stomach and her brown eyes opened slowly, her hair falling over her shoulders in a tousled manner which was strangely endearing. Sesshoumaru marvelled at how the woman could look so beautiful when she had just woken up. After a moment, she gave him a sleepy smile of greeting before snuggling down further into the covers with the smile still on her lips.

"Good morning," she said in a voice that clearly said she had just woken up.

"Morning," Sesshoumaru replied, fascinated by her as he watched her sit up in bed and stretch.

"How long have you been awake?" Rin asked, propping herself up with pillows and fixing her gaze on the silver haired man at the desk.

"An hour or two."

"Really?" she gasped in surprise. "You should have woken me up!"

Sesshoumaru chose not to reply and shrugged nonchalantly instead. He couldn't find an answer that wouldn't bring about an awkward situation and he definitely wanted to avoid that this early in the morning. It wouldn't do to say that he liked watching her sleep because she looked so beautiful, she would think he was strange and laugh off the intended compliment.

An hour later, Sesshoumaru found himself sitting at the table in the kitchen eating breakfast that Rin had prepared and considered himself very lucky. There was an air of domesticity about the whole scene that would normally have disturbed him, but in this case he was thoroughly enjoying himself. It seemed strange that everything from waking up in the same bed to sharing breakfast just seemed so natural, as though this happened everyday. If Sesshoumaru was totally honest with himself, he would be very happy if this happened everyday.

"So what will we do today?" Rin asked with a smile as she dried the last of the dishes.

"I had nothing planned."

"We'll have to make a plan then!" she said with a vague smile as she sat down opposite him and sipped her coffee. "Do you know how long the rain is supposed to last?"

Sesshoumaru frowned slightly. "I looked it up earlier and they just said indefinitely."

Rin looked thoughtful for a moment and Sesshoumaru suddenly wondered if she wanted to go home. He was slightly surprised when he realised that he didn't want her to go. He wanted her to stay here with him so that he could wake up like this everyday.

"Well, we should probably get some fresh food then," Rin said with a smile.

Expecting her to request to be taken home, Sesshoumaru stared at her in surprise for a moment. "Fresh food?"

"You don't really have a lot of food in this house, you know," she said seriously, eyeing him like a mother about to scold her child. "I get the impression that you and your brother don't eat very well."

"We eat whatever happens to be around."

"Well you won't be eating tinned food and ready meals while I'm here. So, let's go shopping."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

By the time they returned to the house, Sesshoumaru was suddenly realising what a married life would feel like. There had been few people out and about for fear of being caught in the rain, but the few people that were out smiled as they watched Rin drag Sesshoumaru from one shop to another, buying everything she thought necessary for the time they would spend together. It was at that time that he realised what a husband must feel like when out shopping with his wife.

"I'm glad we got back before the rain started," Rin said with a small smile as she looked out the window at the rain that had started to fall.

"Indeed."

Rin turned around and smiled as she saw Sesshoumaru putting various foods away in the kitchen. "I'll help you."

While the pair worked to put everything away, Rin thought over the day so far. It was still early, but she had thoroughly enjoyed herself. She thought that spending time alone with Sesshoumaru would have been awkward, but it definitely wasn't. Although he didn't speak much, he listened to what she had to say and she found herself returning to her bubbly, cheerful nature. Although it not even been a full day, she was already wishing that the typhoon threat would last forever so she could stay with him.

"What're you working on?" Rin asked from the bed as she watched Sesshoumaru working at his desk once more.

"Just some work my father sent me."

Deciding to use his obvious distraction to her advantage, Rin put aside the book she had been reading and got to her feet quietly. She advanced on him, knowing that he wouldn't spot her. Standing behind him, Rin watched his hand writing elegantly across a sheet of paper although she couldn't read what was written. She leaned forward so that she almost touched him, but not quite and smirked when he jumped as he felt her breath against his skin.

"What're you doing?" he asked, his hand pausing its movements.

"I'm curious," Rin replied sweetly, leaning further forward.

Sesshoumaru turned in his chair slightly to look up her, but his eyes widened in shock as he found himself staring straight at her breasts. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly before looking up to see her smiling down at him.

"You shouldn't creep up on people like that," he said seriously, trying to ignore the memory of her voluptuous chest.

"You didn't seem too surprised," Rin countered with a vague smile.

When she didn't get a response, Rin leaned forward more to look at the papers on the desk. She ignored the way Sesshoumaru stiffened in his seat as her shoulder brushed his and concealed her smile expertly behind her calm mask. Her eyes widened as she looked at the papers and she stepped back to stare at him in surprise.

"You're doing work for your father's company?" she exclaimed.

"That much is obvious."

"But you're still at university."

"I'm 25, Rin," Sesshoumaru said with exaggerated patience. "I think I'm old enough to be able to handle studies and work."

Rin stared at him and took another step away from him, before sitting down heavily on the bed, not sure what to say. As she let the information sink in, she felt like she'd been hit by a tonne of bricks as she realised that this man was definitely out of her league. That he came from a wealthy family never concerned her, he was the same as the next person, but the fact that he was that much older than her explained why she sometimes felt so small and insignificant when in his company.

"You seem surprised?" he questioned, eyes narrowing as he watched her struggle with something.

"I thought you were the same age as the others," Rin said with a faint smile.

"You seem to single yourself out with such words."

"I'm younger than they are."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. "How old are you?"

"20."

It was now Sesshoumaru's turn to be surprised. He knew that she was younger than him, but a five year difference was more than he expected. Rin seemed far too mature to be younger than all her friends, however, as he looked at her, he realised that there was a lot about her that he didn't know about.

"You are younger than I thought," he said quietly, looking at her thoughtfully.

Rin sighed and looked away from him, examining her hands with a sudden great interest and couldn't help feeling a wave of disappointment wash over her a she thought over what she had just learnt. It had taken a lot of thought and courage for her to finally decide to let him into her life, even if only a little bit. Now, as she thought about it in greater detail, it had been a rash decision when she knew so little about him. With her age revealed, she was willing to bet that she was right back at square one and that Sesshoumaru probably wanted nothing to do with her at all now.

Sesshoumaru could almost see the wheels in her mind turning as she sat on the bed staring at her hands. It was true that he was slightly surprised by the revelation of her age, but I definitely didn't change how he felt about her. Age gaps meant very little to him and he decided that regardless of her age, he would still try and win her heart. As a frown creased her brow, he realised that he should probably let her know that her age didn't matter.

Rising to his feet, he crossed the room quietly until he was standing in front of her. Sesshoumaru smirked slightly as he saw her looking up at him in bewilderment. Her eyes followed him as he knelt down in front of her, taking her small hands in his larger ones. For a moment he was silent as he looked down at their clasped hands, before he lifted one hand up to cup her cheek gently as his thumb caress the skin beneath his fingers.

"Rin…" He said quietly, lifting his gaze to look into her eyes.

"Yes?" she replied just as quietly, unable to look away.

"Age means nothing."

Seeing that she was struggling to find a response, Sesshoumaru's hand drifted down from her cheek to her neck. He smirked as he heard her sharp intake of breath as his fingers brushed the nape of her neck before pulling her towards him causing her to fall off the bed and into his arms. She gasped as she felt arms wrap around her, pulling her close against his broad chest. Not sure what to do, Rin froze in place for a moment. Eventually, she felt her breathing return to normal and she closed her eyes, lifting her hands and tangled her fingers in the fabric of his shirt. It felt so natural and so good to be held like this by this man. She smiled to herself and burrowed deeper into his embrace, but soon whimpered softly when she felt him move back slightly to look down at her. Rin returned his gaze steadily and allowed herself to be manoeuvred onto the bed until she was lying on her back and him stretched out beside her, his fingers playing with her hair.

"Do you remember," he started, looking down at her flushed face with satisfaction. "What I said to you the last time you were here?"

Rin looked up at him, trying in vain to get her mind to work but failed miserably as his hand moved back to her neck, caressing the soft skin. She suddenly felt very exposed in her low cut black shirt as she saw his gaze linger on her chest before rising to her face.

"I said that I would cherish you…" She inhaled sharply as she felt his lips brush her own. "… adore you…" This time she gasped when those same lips landed on her neck, placing gentle kisses down the elegant column. "… love you."

Sesshoumaru lifted his hand to pull the shirt off her shoulder as he continued to place kisses against her soft skin. Rin sighed softly as she felt a hand slid down to her waist and slowly inch it's way up under her shirt until he suddenly stopped everything and looked up into her eyes seriously.

"I meant every word of it, Rin."

There was a look in his eyes that made Rin know that he spoke the truth and she felt joy well up within her. It took him by surprise when her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him down until his face was buried in her cleavage as she wept into his shoulder. Having his face between her breasts was something he would have enjoyed at any other time, but he frowned as he felt tears dampen his shirt.

"You're not supposed to cry when I tell you that I love you," he said in mock upset when they finally parted. "I should be the one crying because you don't love me."

Rin managed a tearful smile and wrapped her arms around his shoulders again. "But I do love you," she whispered into his ear.

Sesshoumaru pulled back in shock to look at her, sure that he had heard her wrong. When all he saw was a smiling female, he knew that he had finally won her over. Grinning at her, he leaned down and captured her lips with the lust he had been keeping in check for so long and he was delighted when she responded with matching passion. As he let his hand continue its journey up beneath her shirt, he couldn't help but smile. He had never expected to find love when he started at the university, but as he looked down at the woman beside him, he knew that this was the beginning of a wonderful future.


	10. Chapter 10

**Epilogue**

And so it came to pass the small group of friends had their fair share of ups and downs, but Sesshoumaru and Rin's relationship was by far the strongest and lasted the longest. Kagome and Inuyasha argued often and after several breakups, realised that they couldn't live without each other while Miroku soon learned to control his wandering hands after Sango threatened to leave him. Kouga and Ayame went their separate ways shortly after graduating from the university only to be reunited several years later.

While all their friends were working through their various problems, Sesshoumaru and Rin's relationship went from strength to strength. Despite their rocky start, they managed to overcome Sesshoumaru's sometimes arrogant nature and Rin soon came out of her shell, happy in the knowledge that Sesshoumaru was always there watching over her.

The pair had been a couple for little over two years by the time they graduated from the university and Sesshoumaru was overjoyed when Rin suggested they start redecorating the spare bedroom of their shared apartment to accommodate the child that would soon be joining their life. The addition to the family was not planned, but was definitely welcome and led to the pair beginning to plan their future together. The child would be born out of wedlock, but neither of the parents saw any problem with that – they had the rest of their lives to get married.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The front door of the house slammed open and Rin looked up in surprise as she heard muttering before she heard the refrigerator door being opened. The child who sat beside her looked up at her with a questioning gaze to which she responded with a smile and a kiss on the forehead as Sesshoumaru walked through the living room door with a look of mild confusion on his face as he dropped down into the chair beside his wife. The little boy got to his feet and left his mother's side, choosing to sit with his father instead, telling him excitedly about his day at school.

"What was that about?" Rin asked, eyeing the kitchen door with concern before focusing her gaze on her husband who was struggling to get his son to quieten down.

"I don't know."

Rin frowned slightly as she watched her husband be dragged away to the other side of the living room to be shown his son's work from school. Her daughter, Miki, had just turned sixteen and had been coming home from school lately in frightfully bad moods that even deterred her stoic father from questioning her. Rin had thought it very endearing when she realised just how much her husband cared for his daughter and had initially thought he was making a mountain out of a mole hill when Miki's bad moods had first started, but now she was beginning to wonder if perhaps she should look into the matter more seriously.

Sesshoumaru looked over at his wife briefly and smiled slightly when their eyes met, but he soon grimaced when he heard a slam from upstairs. Deciding that perhaps this was something he should let Rin handle, he got comfortable in his seat beside his son and listened patiently while the boy continued to explain what had happened at school. Rin shook her head at him, smiling slightly and started to rise from her seat when the very cause of the slamming came through the living room doorway, several books clutched in her arms. The adults watched her warily as she made her way across to the desk where her brother and father sat and deposited her books with a sigh. Much to Rin's surprise, Miki turned and sat down heavily beside her mother and rested her head against Rin's shoulder.

"What's the matter?" Rin asked cautiously, fearful of a sudden burst of anger. The girl said nothing and Rin sighed softly, wrapping her arms around her and stroking her hair gently as she waited for a response.

"Nothing."

"Then what was all the crashing and banging about?" Rin questioned with a vague smile. "I don't know anyone who makes that much noise over nothing."

Miki sighed again and sat up, pushing away her mother's comforting hands to tie her hair up. A frown creased her brow as she looked over to where her father sat, watching her curiously. She knew very well that her father would not be pleased by the cause of her problem and having to put up with her father in one of his bad moods would definitely not help the situation any, but Miki knew that her mother could help. Somehow, her mother always seemed to be able to manage to fix her problems even when it seemed impossible. Perhaps it was just a gift that mothers had. Either way, although she wanted to tell her mother, she didn't want her father to know, but there was little choice now.

"It's just a problem at school," Miki muttered quietly with a slight blush, hoping her mother would take the hint and carry on the conversation later.

Rin smiled knowingly as she watched the blush spread across her daughter's pale features. "That's easily remedied, dear. Your father can probably sort it out if you tell him what's wrong."

"Ah, that's okay. I can sort it out myself."

"Really, dear?" Rin said casually, knowing that she was close to getting the girl to reveal the problem. "You don't seem to be having much luck with that if your moods of late are anything to go by."

Sesshoumaru watched the pair silently and listened to their conversation in fascination. Even their son had stopped talking and was watching his sister and mother intently, almost as though he too could sense that this was something important. Sesshoumaru could only marvel at how Rin was managing to get their quiet daughter to give her all the information she needed to work out the source of the ill temper without directly asking. The girl was almost as quiet as her father, but after being married to Sesshoumaru for so many years, Rin had become a master at getting information out of the quiet pair.

"Are you going to tell me what the problem is or do I have to tell you what I think it is, dear?" Rin asked eventually, growing tired of beating around the bush.

"I… uh…" Miki blushed and floundered for a moment before sighing in defeat. She should know better than to try and hide anything from her mother.

"Well?"

"There's a boy at school who keeps asking me to be his girlfriend," Miki muttered quietly, praying her father hadn't heard.

"I was half right," Rin murmured with a smile.

Miki glanced at her mother and blushed bright red, lowering her gaze quickly as Rin chuckled to herself. Sesshoumaru on the other hand was not impressed. He didn't like the idea of anyone causing his daughter distress and liked it even less when the cause was male. Before he could speak, Rin had jumped in and clearly had her own questions.

"Who is he?" she asked the girl who shifted uncomfortably.

"He's on the track team with me," Miki said with a sigh. "He's in the year above me at school."

"You must know him then," Rin reasoned.

"Of course I know him."

"Then what's the problem?"

"He just won't leave me alone."

"Is that all?"

Miki paused and blushed again causing Rin to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. "He kissed me."

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and tried very hard to control his growing ire, but was surprised when Rin's laughter echoed through the room. He opened his eyes to see Miki staring at her mother in confusion before turning to look at him, hoping to find the reason for her mother's laughter. Sesshoumaru could only shrug at the girl, not knowing what was so amusing when his daughter had plainly said that someone had kissed her. He was now torn between wanting to find the boy and teach him the consequences of toying with his daughter and wanting to know what Rin found so amusing.

"I fail to see what is amusing here," he said quietly, eyes narrowing slightly as Rin wiped tears from her eyes.

"Of course you wouldn't," Rin said with a smile before turning back to her daughter. "I'm sorry, dear, but that sounded so familiar that it brings back memories."

Miki glanced at her father who seemed as baffled as she did. She turned in her seat so she could look at her mother and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Sesshoumaru lean forward in his seat slightly, as though he too were eager to hear this story.

"Memories of what?" Miki probed, now curious.

"Your father."

"Really?" The girl looked at her father again and he looked completely at a loss. "I don't think he knows what you're talking about."

Rin ignored that and cast her memory back to when she had first met Sesshoumaru. "I remember saying that very thing when I was a bit older than you."

"To your mother?"

"No, dear. To Bankotsu and Suikotsu."

"My uncles?" Miki asked in confusion, but then shook it off, eager to hear more. "Who kissed you? Was he nice?"

"He was very nice, dear, but it took me a long time to realise just how nice he was."

Sesshoumaru sat back in his chair and smirked slightly as he realised what his wife was talking about. His son slipped onto his lap and listened to the two females eagerly, although not entirely understanding the situation.

"But what does that have to do with my problem with Hideki?" Miki questioned, not understanding where the connection lay.

"It was the same problem I had." Rin said with a smile at her husband. "There was a certain man who couldn't seem to leave me be."

"You must've gotten rid of him if you married Papa. What did you do to get him to leave you alone?"  
"I didn't do anything, dear. He didn't leave me alone and I'm quite glad he didn't."

"Why?" Miki frowned.

"Because if he did, then you wouldn't be here," Rin said with a smile and tucked a strand of silver hair behind Miki's ear.

"But that means that man was Papa?" Miki exclaimed, turning to look at her father so quickly that he inwardly flinched, wondering how her neck didn't snap because of the hasty movement.

"It does," Sesshoumaru replied with a smirk. "I got her to see things my way eventually."

Rin smiled affectionately at her husband and decided not to show her amusement at her daughter's bewilderment. Instead, she cleared her throat and took Miki's hand in hers.

"You should give him a chance, dear. He may not be as bad as you think."

"I certainly approve of his direct approach," Sesshoumaru added with a thoughtful look.

"You… approve?" Miki stammered, struggling to take in all the information. Stunned, she turned to Sesshoumaru with an incredulous look. "But you always said you'd kill any boy that came near me!"

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "I approve of his methods and if he lives up to his name; he's more than welcome to join the family."

Miki could only stare at her parents in astonishment. Her uncles and aunts had always said that her parents had had a rocky beginning to their relationship, but she would never have thought that the beginning of her first proper relationship would be the same way theirs started.

**AN:** I'm not completely happy with the way the story ended, so I may come back and edit it at a later date, but please let me know what you think. Thank you to everyone for the reviews :)


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